Of This World And Yesterday
by Queen
Summary: IYSM crossover - The temporal warp in the Higurashi family's well has been discovered; an abnormal rift in the continuum of time and space. Though that is only the beginning.
1. Prelude

_Of This World and Yesterday_

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_Prelude_:

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Footsteps sounded in the darkness, echoing hollowly against the hard stones of the shrine's courtyard.

She was used to working alone. This was her duty, established for centuries. Eddies and swirls in the stream of time were usual things, though sometimes the river of epochs grew disrupted, flooding and spreading in ways that were not meant. Rivers sometimes cut new paths; that she knew. Though the cause of a shift was something to be investigated. Not all storms in the stream of time were supposed to be. Now, paradoxes hemmed the edges of the future, warpings of unknown magnitude. And so she fulfilled her ancient duty, ensuring the stability of what was to come.

The solitary figure was surprised to find herself wandering into an old shrine. Usually they were places of stability, rocks along the shore of the timestream, steady, ever present, though sometimes they would wear away though the centuries. But ripples pressed against her senses, a tiny warping she had set herself to uncover. Here in the night, she could slip easily from building to building, unseen in the dark. She'd correct the distortion, and then vanish. No need for anyone to know she was even there....

Thin wooden walls ringed the epicenter of the disturbance, and she moved forward to push open the doors to a wellhouse. But it was fortunate she paused a moment before sliding the door open. Voices sounded within, echoing up hollowly, then growing stronger as she slipped back into the shadows.

"Mou...I can't believe you followed me all the way home...."

"Dammit, Kagome, it's more important for you to stay!"

"I've got a geometry test in two days, Inuyasha! And history tomorrow, and I'm behind in biology! I've got entrance exams this year! I have to study!"

"Feh!"

The door to the wellhouse slammed open, shoved aside by an irritated Inuyasha. True enough, Kagome had stayed for better than a week this time. He was glad of that, but still, she was leaving again, off to some weird world of her own. She was pushing her way ahead of him, the oversized yellow rucksack on her back nearly empty. Wheeling around, Kagome fixed Inuyasha with a glare. "It's late! Go home!"

"I don't see why you can't-"

"Osu-"

She watched his face shift suddenly, from anger to caution. It was quick enough to stop her from slamming him into the ground with the usual command. His ears were pricked up, swiveling back and forth a bit as he sniffed the air. "Inuyasha? What's....?"

Something was on the shifting wind. It was clear, clean and bright, though carrying the scent of an ancient shroud of mist. And as the person the scent belonged to remained hidden, he determined it was an enemy.

In one smooth motion, his hand went to the hilt of Tetsusaiga, drawing it as it transformed and as he spun around, aiming straight for a silent shadow in the darkness.

Two weapons clashed with a metallic ring as Inuyasha slammed his weapon down on the silvery staff of their watcher.

"Inuyasha!"

"Kagome! Get back!"

Kagome backed up hurriedly, shedding her rucksack and scrambling out of the way as the figure he was fighting slipped her staff underneath his sword, slamming Inuyasha in the stomach hard enough to send him staggering backward. The motion brought their observer forward, into a knife's edge of yellow light let out from the house. In the slash of light, Kagome saw an unusual figure. A woman in a white uniform, her skirt and collar black, and a long bow of deep crimson pinned to the front and back, long ribbons trailing. She spared no glance for Kagome, but was instead watching Inuyasha as he rushed forward again, this time more warily, slashing upward to be met again with the staff, tipped with an orb of garnet.

The weapons clanged against each other as the woman spun again, striking forward and missing as Inuyasha leapt back out of her way. Back, forth, into and out of the square patches of light on the ground, splashed from the windows of the house. The woman jerked the narrow end of her staff upward quickly, sharply catching Inuyasha in the chin as he moved the more unwieldy Tetsusaiga for another blow. It was enough force to send him back a step, settling in for another run. He watched as she lifted the staff over her head, arches of heart shaped silver curling around the glowing red orb. Mist began to coalesce around her, circling the curved end of the staff.

It was a magical attack, and he knew it. There was barely a moment to prepare himself, using the only option he could think of, without running straight into the blast himself. Around her, garnet colored swirls of aura shimmered, glowing and shifting with all the brightness of a star.

Then he heard a whisper say, "Dead Scream...."

And from inside the swirling crimson clouds, a sphere of lavender light flew outward, straight for him with deadly accuracy. There was barely an instant to leap out of the way, and he nearly stumbled when he landed, caught instead by Kagome, who balanced him and grabbed at his long sleeve as he turned back to the attacker.

"Wait! Inuyasha! Don't!"

"What?" His response was as much to Kagome as it was to the empty air before him. No one stood there, the only evidence of a sparring match being a slash on the ground where Tetsusaiga had cut. He searched for a scent, half conscious of Kagome standing behind him and looking around herself.

"Inuyasha...she's gone."

"Kuso...."

He moved forward, ready to search for the figure again. Hunt her down, find out just who and what she was. And why she was there.

"Inuyasha...."

There was something about the way Kagome said his name, something to make him turn and look at her curiously. Strangely, she didn't appear worried at all. Then again, this was Kagome. She was clutching at the crescent of the Shikon no Tama around her neck, holding it as though for reassurance. "Kagome? What?

"Don't fight her...."

"Don't...what the hell are you talking about?"

Puzzled, Kagome took a step forward, biting her lip as she sifted though memories, trying to uncover a recollection that eluded her. Faces swam into her vision for a moment, fading then emerging again. "She...might have saved my life once."

Inuyasha stared. Kagome was still turning back and forth, searching for the vanished figure in the darkness, though not seeing.

"What the hell are you talking about? When? Who was that?"

She turned and looked at him. Inuyasha was watching the courtyard, and after a moment, Tetsusaiga shrunk, slipping back into its sheath. Evidence enough that whoever that had been, she was long gone. She still paid him no attention, and he moved to her, grabbing her shoulders and looking down into her face, frowning and silently asking her what she meant. After a moment, she turned her grey blue eyes to his golden ones.

"I think it was a Sailor Senshi."

* * *

Welcome to the product of my obsession....

lol. Well, I've been writing _Sailormoon_ fics for ages now, and have recently started in the _Inuyasha_ fandom...having written _Sailormoon_ fics for so long, my brain has become somewhat permanently wired for it. Due to the massive does of _Inuyasha _manga/anime I've been feeding it lately, my fanfic writing wires have gotten a little crossed, and apparently a crossover is my brain's way of coping.

Basically, I've been writing this purely for fun, for myself and my friends. It's become rather large. At the time of posting this small Prelude, I'm about to start work on Chapter 15. Looking around , I've only seen a couple SM/IY crossovers, so I'm not really sure if anyone is interested in reading a cross between the two. So, I'm using this Prelude as a tester.

If I get _at least 5_ reviews, requesting me to continue posting, I'll add some more here soon. ^_^ If not, then this'll probably come down in a week or so, and become something I'm doing just for the heck of it. Kukuku, you have to love people from the past in the modern age...::evil laughter:: Especially when you have Sailor Venus running around and trying to hook the Inuyasha-tachi up. Btw, pairings will be traditional. I like them how they are. That means Inuyasha/Kagome, Sango/Miroku, and from _Sailormoon_- Usagi will be with Mamoru... I've had a lot of fun so far, and I plan on finishing the fic reviews or not. ^.~ All major characters from each series will be included, though it does take a bit for Sango, Miroku and Shippou to get on the scene, just warning you...but they do come!!!

So, if you're curious at all, review! Let me know if you want more. ^_~

Ja ne!

~Queen

Date begun: 1/24/02

First posting: 3/8/02


	2. Ripple

_Of This World And Yesterday_

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Chapter 1- Ripple

The library was a quiet place at night. Other members of the makeshift 'family' were usually asleep, or moving about other assorted tasks; studying for school, watching television, doing dishes. So the library became the customary place that Meioh Setsuna, also called Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time, returned to in the darkness.

A small circle of mist swirled on the hardwood floor, twirling in the checkerboard of moonlight let in though the high window. Heeled feet filled the empty space, then a tap sounded as the tip of the Timestaff touched the floor. Mist momentarily circled the elusive senshi of time, then faded away to reveal only Setsuna, in a casual navy colored dress. With a frown, she slipped off her sandals, walking out of the room in her bare feet.

Youkai.

The word itself bothered her little. Down the centuries, she had seen more than a fair share of the race. Their population, in the more recent centuries, had dwindled. Fewer and fewer walked the streets of Tokyo now, and those there did so cautiously. Over time, their powers had not so much weakened as were overwhelmed by the sheer number of humans, and the advancing technologies they developed.

No, fighting a youkai this night did not upset Setsuna.

The fact that this youkai emerged out of a distortion in the timestream did.

How? How had he pierced the walls of time, without a timekey? The warping, apparently, but an alteration as massive as that should have screamed for her attention immediately, not slipping by, small enough to be checked out in leisure time. And the girl. There was a girl there, and though the currents of time swirled around her as well, she wore a school uniform, clearly of this era. Crossing time was dangerous. What were they doing? The two spoke with familiarity, so this had been going on for some time.

Why was the distortion so small? The logical explanation would be that their time hopping was foreordained, but that was preposterous. Having knowledge of the future was dangerous, and particularly so in the hands of a youkai.

That weapon. A katana that transformed, growing massive- much larger than even Uranus' Space Sword. A youkai weapon, clearly, and he had been preparing to use it on her just as she fired off a Dead Scream.

Setsuna was worried. Ripples could spread in the timestream quickly.

A tang of sulfur reached her senses as she passed into the kitchen, seeing a small figure standing next to the counter, lighting a partially melted lavender candle with a match.

She was still getting used to seeing the newest member of their little family around the house. Kami's joining them just over a month ago was only now settling into routine, and she was still accustoming herself to her new life in this era. Another example of the timestream undergoing odd, unexpected distortions. Though in Kami's case, the distortions were very linear. Being reborn into this time, never having been a senshi before; that kept things neat, and Setsuna was glad of it.

The newest senshi blew out the match as the candle's glow reflected up into her face. Her usual loops of black hair were undone, plaited instead for sleep. Pale, lavender eyes glanced upward, lids drooping slightly, though smiling at seeing the older woman.

"Konbanwa, Setsuna-san."

"Konbanwa, Kami."

Some small shade of worry colored her voice, giving the other girl pause to look up, puzzled. "Are you alright, Setsuna-san?" Dark brows lowered slightly, suspecting something wrong.

In reply, Setsuna sighed, shaking her head. "Well enough. How is Hotaru?"

She glanced away for a moment, towards the hallway that led to the room of the youngest of the Outer Senshi. A fond smile formed on Kami's lips as she reached out with her tentative powers, searching for the slumbering mind of the little girl who would have been her sister, in a very different time and place. "She sleeps. It is as well, with Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan away...starting school again after you schooled her here...she'll need the rest." Then her expression grew serious again, the smile fading away. "Setsuna-san...you've been fighting, ne?"

The soldier of time sighed, running an hand though her hair and meeting the small bun she held it back with. With a frown, she unbound it, twisting the rubber band around her wrist as she leaned forward against the opposite side of the counter. "Nothing to worry about."

Kami frowned, clearly hearing the word 'yet' at the end of Setsuna's sentence. But she was not prone to prying, particularly with Setsuna, who liked to keep her secrets to herself. She cupped the worn candle in her hands, the remnants of her 'birthday' present several weeks ago.

"Yes...then I'm going to get some sleep...if things change..." she looked down, then worriedly at Setsuna. "Tell me, please? I know I don't know what I'm doing so much, but I want to help."

Setsuna allowed herself a small smile. Kami may be inexperienced, but for all the bizarre events that brought her to them, she was coping fairly well. And nightly fulfilling her duties as Sailor Dreamweaver. Slipping into and out dreams, the only other senshi beside herself required to do her duties even when there were times of peace.

"Yes...don't worry about it, Kami. Get some sleep. You've been working tonight too, haven't you?"

That earned a shy smile in reply, and then a polite bow as she turned in a swirl of white nightgown, reflecting the candle's glow in the darkness.

The past. Tomoe Kami, a young woman from the past.

Ripples in time.

Youkai.

Setsuna frowned. Returning to the jinja was necessary, to determine exactly how bad the distortions had become, to see how much they influenced the present. Frowning, she ran though the battle in her mind, picking out details. Youkai, though fairly human in appearance. That meant strength, she remembered. Golden eyes had peered into her own garnet colored ones, with slit pupils, like a cat's. Her frown twitched. No, not a cat. That was no feline. Quick, but not that quick. White hair, long...and out of the top...ears. Shimatta, it'd been too long since she'd dealt with a youkai. Various youma down the years, yes, but youkai were not just any random creatures. Claws, ears, golden eyes...how had he noticed her? She was silent in the shadows, and sensing her was no easy task.

Wind sighed against the panes of glass in the windows, and she glanced outside, seeing the wide backyard behind their house, sketched out in the moonlight. Wind....

Dog. A dog youkai. Scent. He had picked up on her scent, through the wind. And though she was transformed, and it was Sailor Pluto who he fought, then he would easily recognize her through her scent, were she to return as Meioh Setsuna. And there was no way to know how long he would stay.

She glanced to where Kami had disappeared into the hallway, heading for her small room. No, requesting help from Kami was not feasible, not this time. Sending a woman with the majority of her life experience in the eleventh century into a situation like this was probably a bad idea. Kami was still trying to grasp the concept that everything on television did not actually happen.

Normally, her request would fall to Haruka and Michiru- they were more than capable of investigating. However, Michiru had been invited to perform a violin concert in Vienna, and Haruka, being Haruka, insisted on accompanying her. Hotaru was simply too young to go wandering around by herself, as powerful as she was as a senshi.

Setsuna glanced at the phone, then at her watch. A quarter til eleven. Her frown deepened, and she reluctantly picked up the phone, pressing speed dial. It rang, then after a moment, the delicate voice of Mizuno Ami answered.

"Hello?"

"Ami-chan? It's Setsuna...yes, I know it's late. Yes, everything is fine. I'd like to speak with you tomorrow, after school...."

* * *

Inuyasha settled himself into a squat on the floor of Kagome's room, watching her as she moved around, shoving books quickly but neatly back into place on her bookshelf. Her desk lamp was on, the fluorescent light harshly white. Her family had not heard the fight outside, and with a quick thought, Kagome told Inuyasha to meet her in her room in a few minutes, after saying she was back. Mama had just been turning out the lights, and was glad to see her daughter home for once.

Now the window remained open, Kagome's curtains catching on the wind and floating on either side of Inuyasha, who was watching as she ran around, swiftly putting things away. And unfortunately, not telling him what the hell she meant when she said that woman had saved her life. Well, might have saved her life, he reminded himself, mentally repeating it. He really hated it when he wasn't able to save her himself, and now there was another person running around out there who had. It was getting seriously irritating.

"Oy, are you going to tell me what you meant or not?"

"What? Oh! Sorry, Inuyasha..." she glanced around distractedly, then began fishing through the drawers of her desk.

"Oy!"

She glanced up at him, shaking her head. "Inuyasha, keep it down. Even Mama would have a fit if she saw you in my room. I was looking for a clipping to show you but..." she looked around, then sighed. "Mama must have thrown out her poster...."

"Poster?"

Kagome nodded, then turned the desk's chair around, sitting down sideways and leaning against the back of it, putting her elbow on the ridge. "I don't remember everything all that well, but a lot better than Yuka-chan does. It was awhile ago, before I met you...."

* * *

_Mugen Academy Memorial Dome_

_Approximately Four Months Before the Quest for the Shikon no Tama Begins_

Everyone was screaming wildly, while the crowds pressed against Kagome's sides, leaping up and down in excitement as a figure appeared on the stage in a flash of bright orange and yellow lights. Both girls screamed in excitement, waving along with everyone else in the crowd. Kagome counted herself as lucky. Yuka had only been able to get two tickets, and despite wanting to, nobody else could go. The concert was special; only Mugen students were allowed to enter, since this was the christening of the new concert hall. Yuka would only wink when Kagome asked her how she had gotten ahold of the rare tickets, grinning and saying she had connections. So here she was, wearing glitter and trendy clothes, standing amid a crowd of top students from Mugen Academy, cheering on one of the seniors, the now famous idol Mimi Hanyu.

"Thank you, everyone!" Mimi was saying as she finished her first set. Brilliant yellow lights highlighted her short, wavy orange hair, and glittered off the tiara on her brows. She put on her best smile and beamed out into the audience as she spoke into the microphone. "Mimi is so glad to be able to sing for her very special college!" She winked at the front row, and though Kagome and Yuka were several rows back, they screamed along with everyone else in response, clapping their hands, applauding. Mimi stepped back a bit, and one of the stage hands handed her a golden staff, the end of it twisted into the symbol of infinity, a black star resting inside the curves.

The smile turned its attention back to the crowd. "I love Mugen Academy and all of you. I'd do anything for the Academy. I'd give all of myself. You feel the same, don't you?"

The crowd's response was a thundering cry, rumbling up into the lofts of the auditorium. In response, the band behind Mimi began to pick up, playing a soft, melodious song as Mimi continued, "Then everyone close your eyes and relax...quietly listen to this song I wrote for all of you...."

Kagome, at first, enjoyed the opening strains of music, lyrical and drifting. But as the chords began to grow, it grated on her senses, scraping harshly and making her wince. She grabbed her head as a jolt of pain shot though it, accompanied by a wave of pained sleepiness. Quickly, she looked to Yuka, was still standing and watching Mimi, completely enthralled and showing no response to the discordant music. Though slowly, her eyes were sagging, and she watched as Yuka and several Mugen students began to sink to the ground, dizzily dropping.

New words overlapped the broken music, and Kagome began to feel her knees give out on her as Mimi spoke. "Give me and my master Pharaoh 90 your body...your heart...and your soul...."

Something inside Kagome shone, glaring brightly in the dark auditorium. It sent waves of pain though her chest, the feeling that something was being ripped out of her. In the aisle, she clutched at her side, fighting to keep that thing within her inside. Distantly, through the feelings of pain, she saw something crystalize over Yuka, who was now prone beside her. It glowed faintly, a small shining thing hovering over her body. Wincing, Kagome tilted her head to see more of these crystals begin to form, floating idly over the body of the one they belonged to.

The pain in her chest was incredible.

She grit her teeth, fighting the siren song emanating from the stage. Whatever that thing was, Kagome was somehow resisting it. And sadly, she seemed like she was the only one.

There was a booming noise, the sound of doors being thrown open, and a shout from the back of the concert hall. "Stop right there!"

Kagome couldn't see who it was. But the voice was clear, high and feminine, and quite obviously angry.

"Behind that cute facade and that beautiful voice is the personification of evil! Don't be fooled, everyone!"

Mimi, on the stage, spun, surprised at the interruption and furious. "Who's that?"

Kagome heard the response, and the footsteps that accompanied it. Whoever it was was running to the stage. "With the blessings of Venus, the planet of beauty! The senshi of love, Sailor Venus, is here!"

From the ground, Kagome pushed herself onto her side, trying to see the happenings on the stage, focusing on that rather than the searing sensation in her chest. Two figures stood there, Mimi Hanyu and a second figure, dressed strangely, a skirt and collar in orange and a bow of dark blue, long blonde hair tied back in a bright red ribbon. The intruder, Sailor Venus, turned to the crowd, shouting, "Wake up, everyone! It's still not too late!" Then something even more bizarre happened. Bright light formed around the girl's uplifted hands, and she grabbed a golden chain, aiming it at the crowd. "Venus Love-me Chain!"

It cut out across the unconscious members of the crowd, causing several to choke and sputter, and through the rows of seats, Kagome saw several of the little crystals fade away as the members of the audience stirred. Then, suddenly the lights went out, plunging them into darkness.

"Take cover outside!" the voice of Sailor Venus called out, now over the microphone system. The awakened ones managed to move themselves, running for the exits as quickly as they could. Still kneeling on the ground, Kagome tried to wake up Yuka, who remained draped over her seat, the crystal still floating over her chest.

The pain was constant, and it began to burn in Kagome's chest, throbbing and causing her to fall back again into the aisle as something came over Mimi Hanyu. There was a shriek from the stage, outraged and unmistakably ready for battle. Kagome watched as the idol lifted her staff into the air, charging forward across the stage at the girl who identified herself as Sailor Venus.

"Sailor Venus, I, Mimete, at Level 40, will defeat you!" She reached out, pointing her black star-tipped staff forward and shouting, "Charm Buster!"

The reply came instantly. "Venus Wink Chain Sword!"

Mimi...Mimete...met the returning charge with her staff, sending the golden whip crackling against a defensive shield.

"Venus!" A new voice called out, and there were several approaching footsteps from behind, running into the auditorium.

Relief colored Sailor Venus' voice. "Guys!"

Mimete was screaming out, calling for help from some unknown and unseen watcher. "Kaolinite! Lend me your power! Send a daimon to help!"

As the footsteps grew louder, the newcomers rushing in to help, Kagome narrowly watched a girl from the front row. She had fallen into the aisle, and was now doubled over, clutching at her stomach, chest, face, groaning as she tried to contain something horrific slowly sprouting from her back. Nauseous, Kagome edged herself out of the aisle, out of the way of the battle, out of sight of the contenders, praying this would pass, and that no one would see her, that the thing coming from that student's back couldn't possibly come from hers.

Huge and black, laced with red, she heard Mimete scream an order at the forming creatures, "Eat them alive, daimon!"

The daimon responded, all of them cloudy and red and black with spidery arms and claws, roaring up over the seats, shadowing and towering over Kagome, who tried to breathe though pain and shock. Yuka still lay limp beside her on the chair, and she pulled her friend down to the floor with her, doing all she could think of in such a strange and frightening situation. Though oddly, through it all, Kagome felt calm. Almost detached, analytical. Something that size was likely more terrifying in appearance than power.

And in the next moment, she was proven correct. A single voice called out, "Moon Spiral Heart Attack!" There was a splattering sound, and a flash of bright pink light. The daimon exploded across the air, destroyed by the counterattack Kagome could not see.

The girl before her let out a choked sob as the daimon forming from her freed itself from her body, looming upward and making a final charge.

Sailor Venus screamed a warning. "Tuxedo Kamen! Sailor Chibimoon!"

The daimon was rushing straight for the two on the fringes of the group, giving them barely enough time to turn in shock, watching the final daimon swoop down.

"Deep Submerge!"

A sphere of aquamarine light smashed into the final daimon as Tuxedo Kamen grabbed Chibimoon, throwing them aside as the remains of the watery attack exploded, sending chunks of the daimon's body flying into the unconscious audience.

It came from the stage, and Kagome heard more shouts, a furious screech from Mimete, and then a second cry, another attack. "World Shaking!"

Golden light shot through the slats between the seats, and Kagome covered Yuka's head and her own as there was a final, dying scream in the voice of Mimi Hanyu.

She breathed deeply, feeling her chest go numb with the pain that was constant. Erased so suddenly, the lack of sensation in her chest left her dizzy and feeling ill. Cautiously, Kagome moved upward, peering over the edge of the seat before her. On the stage, two figures stood. And after a moment, they spoke.

The one with wavy, teal colored hair and an outfit in the shades of water spoke first, a mirror in her hand. "With the blessings of the planet of the Sea, Neptune, the soldier of the Depths, Sailor Neptune."

Then spoke the second one, taller with short, sand blond hair, "And with the blessings of the planet of the Wind, Uranus...the soldier of the Skies, Sailor Uranus...are here."

Kagome sunk to the floor, feeling the dizziness tower up inside her, collapsing down next to Yuka and curling up in the cramped little space between rows. Words were called between stage and audience, from one group of soldiers to the other.

The same voice continued: "You don't need to know us."

A little girl's voice: "That hand mirror is a Talisman!"

Startled voices: "Talisman!"

A man's voice: "Did you say that mirror is a Talisman?"

The silky voice of the mirror's owner: "So we meet again, little rabbit."

Another voice, angry: "If you know something, tell us! What's going to happen?"

The sound of Sailor Uranus speaking: "Don't be mistaken. We don't plan to fight together with you. I never said we were allies...we have nothing to say to you...."

Music spun out from the stage, discordant and painful music, the sound of a violin played far too harshly. Kagome was beyond caring, the darkness having overcome her vision, and slowly the sound of their voices was fading away into the nothingness as well.

The man's voice sounded again: "Wait! Are you the ones who will lead us to destruction? Answer me!"

* * *

"...and the last thing I heard was one of them...I think it was the Uranus one...say 'World Shaking' again...." Kagome had turned herself around during her tale, and Inuyasha was staring at her in disbelief. Though of course he believed her. Kagome was hardly prone to making up stories, particularly ones as bizarre as that. He was trying to put together the story again, in his head.

"So she attacked them?"

Kagome nodded, frowning and looking at the floor. She had removed her shoes earlier, and she dug her toes into the thick carpet. "There's more, though. A little bit."

"Then what?"

Kagome sighed.

* * *

_Juuban Memorial Hospital_

_Three Hours After Mimi Hanyu's Concert_

Kagome opened her eyes, blinking into the dull light from the ceiling above. Distantly, she heard sounds; beeping, intercoms calling people, the monotonous drone of a television nearby. Taken together, she surmised she was in a hospital.

"Ah, you woke up," a clear voice said, and a face appeared over Kagome's, violet eyes shrewdly looking down at her. The face wore a smile, and after a moment it altered slightly, still friendly, though now edged with suspicion. "Do you remember anything?"

Kagome blinked again, harder this time, clearing her head as flashes of memory flooded her thoughts. She looked at the girl, waiting there patiently beside her bed. She was in a nice dress, dark red with a white blouse underneath, partially hidden by very long black hair, falling straight around her shoulders.

The interest of this girl in what happened earlier was a bit confusing to Kagome. She was still disoriented, puzzled how she arrived here, but thinking clearly enough to say, "No. Nothing...why?"

Her observer frowned, brows drawing down intently, and Kagome felt a bit nervous at the stare. It almost felt as though the girl were trying to sense her thoughts. It was a silly idea, Kagome knew, but regardless, she mentally closed down, focusing only on the girl's intent face, and being sure only to display polite curiosity on her own. The moment passed, and the girl backed away, smiling again, the grin genuine and now relieved.

"That's all right. You're at Juuban Memorial."

"Thank you...how did I...?"

"Get here?" The girl flicked a lock of black hair over her shoulder as she turned and picked up a purse from the hospital room's extra chair. "My friends and I brought you. A friend of mine has a mother who's a doctor here. You'll be okay in no time."

The stranger moved along the room, heading for the door, and Kagome called out, "Wait!"

"Hm?" she paused, glancing over her shoulder idly.

"Who are you?"

As a response, the girl smiled faintly. "Don't worry about it. You probably won't remember me later, either. Just forget about everything, whoever you are. This is our business."

With that, the girl winked, turned quickly, and fled out the door.

* * *

"If that was the same girl as before...I don't remember everything, Inuyasha. But that's who I thought of when I saw her. I don't know why. Maybe because they both had long hair or something, I don't know...."

Inuyasha didn't really know what to say about this. Girls running around in short skirts, throwing magic spells at each other as though it were an everyday occurrence? And not just any girls, but _human_ girls? Miko could carry magical power, but like that? What, a slew of miko, running around? Yeah, sure. He blinked, staring at Kagome. She wouldn't joke about something like that, though.

Kagome took his silence for what it was; confusion. She sighed, shaking her head. "Nobody really knows much of anything about the Sailor Senshi. Until then, I didn't even believe they existed. They're kind of like urban legends...everybody talks about them, but nobody really believes they're real. Not really, anyway. Sometimes there's pictures of them in the paper, or on tv. But they're usually not clear, or from a distance."

He was beginning to recover from the story, assimilating the tale. There was one thing bothering him more than any other. "One of these senshi people attacked the others, right? Well, the two you said came at the same time?"

"Yeah..." Kagome said nervously. One attacked the others. She was almost sure of it. It was what she remembered, and she told Inuyasha as clearly as she could, of what she could recall. But still, it was fragmented, blurry. Thinking more on it, she wondered if maybe the Shikon no Tama- which would still have been inside her- had been trying to get out. Maybe that was the pain she felt back then.

"Then we don't know if that one that was out there is friendly or not. Even if it was the same girl who you saw at the...uh...place you woke up."

"The hospital?" Kagome supplied, and he shrugged, eyes flicking to the door as he heard muffled sounds. "Somebody's up."

Kagome hesitated, listening as water began to murmur though the house's pipes. Then she whispered, "It's just Souta, getting some water or something. He gets up sometimes."

Inuyasha shifted a bit, considering, then announcing, "I'm staying."

"Wha...what?" Kagome stuttered, suddenly envisioning Mama coming into her room in the morning to find Inuyasha sleeping there. As forgiving and understanding as her mother was about her bizarre time-traveling situation, no parent would like to walk into her daughter's room and discover a boy snoozing away there from the night. "No way! You go back home! You can't stay in my-"

Already standing up, Inuyasha scoffed, "Feh! I'll be on the roof."

"Inuyasha...."

"What?" he hesitated, looking at her and waiting.

"They may be real urban legends, Inuyasha, but I've never heard a story saying they'd hurt anyone. They're supposed to fight with...."

"Fight with what?" he prompted when she broke off.

"Oh...uh...nothing...nobody knows who they fight with, really..." she shifted from foot to foot, nervously hoping he wouldn't figure out what she was thinking. "All I know is that Mimi Hanyu was an enemy...and those daimon things...."

He snorted. "If you don't know anything about them, and they're sniffing around here looking for something, then it's probably not hard to figure out what," he took a meaningful step closer to her, reaching out. She blinked as he took the fused shards in his hand, dangling from the chain around her neck. After a moment, he let go of the large fragment of the Shikon no Tama, looking down into her face closely.

Could they be after the Shikon no Tama? Why though? How did they know to come here? If-_ if_- she had been attacked because Inuyasha was hanyou...but why was the Sailor Senshi there in the first place? It didn't make sense. He could be right...maybe they were after the Shikon no Tama...two of the senshi had fought the others...who knew which side was right? Or wrong? Could some of them be bad? Humans could chase after the tama as well...maybe Inuyasha was right....

Inuyasha hadn't moved yet, and was waiting for a response. She looked up at him, his face expectant and near, eyes watchful.

There was a light knock at the door.

Kagome nearly leapt out of her skin at the sound, and Inuyasha backed away rapidly, turning and disappearing out the open window, the only sound of his moving a flapping of cloth.

A second later, Souta poked his head into the room, rubbing his eyes sleepily, while Kagome tried to appear entirely casual. "Onee-chan...you all right? I thought I heard you talking...."

"Souta, get some sleep...it's late," she ushered, trying to get him to leave. "We've got school in the morning..." saying that, she glanced at the new, digital clock beside her bed. Red numbers glowed out the time. Midnight. "Kyaa! Souta, go to bed! We've both got school tomorrow morning!"

"Yeah..." he mumbled, yawning and sleepily shutting the door. "G'night...."

Once the door was closed, she sighed, relieved, then ran a hand though her dark hair.

"Oy."

Turning around, she saw Inuyasha's head suspended in the window, upside down.

"You really don't need to stay."

"Feh. I'll be up here." An upside down shrug followed that, and then he disappeared from the window. Kagome stuck her head outside, leaning around to see a flash of red disappear over the edge of the roof.

"Good night, Inuyasha," she whispered, closing the window and drawing the drapes to a close.

* * *

Terms of note:

youkai: demon

youma: monster

daimon: literally, in Greek- 'demon'

katana: a kind of Japanese sword

konbanwa: good evening

daijobu ka: Are you all right?

senshi: soldier

onegai: please

jinja: a shrine/temple

moshi moshi: 'hello' when answering the phone

gomen, gomen ne, gomen nasai: I'm sorry

minna: everyone

Okay, chapter 1 is down! Don't forget to review- they're always appreciated, and get me to work more on the fic and procrastinate with my homework. ^^; Which I'm seriously doing right now....

So, you met Kami very briefly in this chapter- yes, she's from the past, reborn into the present. I'll explain more about her as things go along, so you can follow some of the details. But like I said in the beginning notes- there's explanations. Don't worry. Neither group of characters knows anything about the other, though everyone's met her in one form or another...x.x

Kagome didn't see Sailor Pluto/Meioh Setsuna in the hospital. That was Hino Rei, Sailor Mars. Unlike the SM anime, the senshi aren't all that well known to the general public. So it'd be easy for her to mistake who was who, not knowing any names. The scene from Mimi Hanyu's (sounds a lot like 'hanyou' doesn't it? o.o) concert is from the S arc. Uranus and Neptune took awhile before joining forces with the other senshi. _Sailormoon_ storyline picks up just after the SS manga...the senshi are all in their most powerful forms, but haven't faced their final enemy yet.

No goofy underclad monster women in the SM manga. Daimon actually does mean 'demon.' That actually is a fairly important thing in this fic, and you'll see why as the chapters progress. ^.^ Actually, that was one of the first connections I made between the two series...

1. Pluto would not like a random time warp in a well.

2. Daimon...youkai...both mean demon...interesting...hmmm....ponders

The lines Mimi Hanyu/Mimete is saying is taken directly from the SM English translated manga...the scene is just retold from Kagome's point of view.

Last thing- though certainly not least- I'd like to thank my circle of friends, who have been pre-reading this for me. To Mina Maxwell I leave through, though, and All's Fair In Love and Perversion! To Miss Chiba Usagi, I leave good lines for Tuxedo Kamen, the rare things that they are. To Miss Dream, I leave you the still-mysterious thing that will happen to Hotaru. Have patience! And of course to Melete and Ginger-chan, who have just started reading this- may you have fun!

Same to the rest of you. Have fun! I sure have.

Til next time.

Ja ne!

~Queen

Well, you asked for it...^_^ Seems there are some people interested in an IY/SM crossover after all! Yay! So, here's the first chapter. Couple comments first...I'll try to keep this short.

1. _Inuyasha _and _Sailormoon_ do not belong to me, but to Rumiko Takahashi and Naoko Takeuchi, two very talented ladies. Don't sue, I'm quite poor, and trying to save for an anime con. Wai! ^_^

2. This fic is based off the manga format...with_ Inuyasha_, the anime is pretty much the same as the manga, so that's not a big deal. _Sailormoon_, however, is an entirely different creature in the manga. Basically, that means no silly underclad monster women, it's considerably more serious, and the way things happen are different- don't worry, manga explaniations are given as the story goes. You'll do fine. ^.~

3. This fic is in a kind of little 'universe' I've been creating recently, in both SM and IY storylines. I've got an original character, and she's in here. Her name is Kami. Don't worry too much- Kami is part of the team, but not the starring character. You can pick up on her background as you go. But, if you've read any of my SM '_Dreamweaver_' fics, you know Kami. If you happen to have read my _Inuyasha_ fic '_Kami Monogatari_'...*thumbs up* Have a cookie! You've met Kami, though her name there was Ukifune. Think of it this way: In the sengoku jidai she was a ghost named Ukifune. In the modern era, she's reborn as a woman named Kami. If you've got that, you'll do just fine with following things. ^.~ If you've read all of those fics- *hands you a tray of cookies* you're _way_ ahead of the game. Go you! I know you're out there, Elemental. ^.~

Okay, all that said...on with the show!


	3. Enemy

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_Then I can do something for you even though you're lost in time_

_You won't have to be my heaven. I won't have to be your friend._

_Daylight, daylight comes every time it's calling_

_Daylight, daylight it goes away again now_

_-Daylight, Lyrics by Matthew Sweet_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 2- Enemy

Mizuno Ami walked out of Juuban High School, glancing around worriedly. Students streamed past her, shouting and calling to each other as they sped off on their various ways home. Nobody paid attention to the girl with the short blue hair, leaving the building uncharacteristically early. Accustomed to staying late for computer club or science club, Ami was usually greeted by her sister senshi, as they were released from their own extracurricular activities. Or in Usagi's case, making up yet another test. But today was no ordinary day. Setsuna called late last night, requesting to speak with her. And more importantly, Setsuna had emphasized the importance of not speaking to the other Inner Senshi about their meeting. Though the soldier of time also insisted on there being nothing wrong. It was puzzling, and Ami tended towards a worrisome, overactive imagination sometimes.

Looking back and forth, she finally spotted who she looked for, standing beside a small compact car, quietly speaking with Hino Rei. The black haired miko was frowning, shaking her head at something Setsuna said, violet eyes troubled. Rei's appearance was startling, since Setsuna seemed to want secrecy, but Ami was also glad that there was another Inner there. Though she supposed it made sense, if Setsuna only wanted to speak with the two of them. Rei went to T.A. Private Girls School, not Juuban, like the others. She wouldn't have been able to speak to her about the phone call whether she wanted to or not. Setsuna would not be likely to tell Rei what was going on before Ami arrived.

"Setsuna-san? Rei-chan?" Ami asked as she hurried over, clutching her satchel of books and folding her arms around it. Quietly, seriously, she asked, "What's going on?"

Their conversation silenced, and Rei turned to Ami, giving her a small smile. "Setsuna was just beginning to tell me why she wanted to speak to just us." The smile faded quickly. "We've got some reconnaissance to do, looks like."

"Reconnaissance? What are we finding out?" she asked, edging closer to the pair. As she had feared, it was, indeed, 'senshi business.' Which meant an enemy, or even something worse.

"Let's get into my car," Setsuna offered sensibly, pulling some keys out of her purse with a jangle. She turned and walked around to the driver's side, unlocking the doors for the other two. Rei slipped in beside Setsuna, and Ami took the back seat, setting her books down beside her as Setsuna pulled into traffic.

After a moment, Setsuna began to explain herself, checking her rearview mirror and glimpsing a worried looking soldier of water. "Last night I came across a small discovery at another jinja. There was a youkai there."

"Youkai?" Rei asked, somewhat startled. "A demon?"

"Yes. I believe an inu-youkai, a dog demon, to be more specific. It's most likely, considering he was able to sense my presence. I believe it was through scent." Ami and Rei took that in for a moment, considering Sailor Pluto's usual ability to move completely unrecognized and unseen, or disappear in an instant.

"You want us to check out this jinja, then?" Rei continued after a moment, guessing Setsuna's intent. "Me for demonic energy, youki, and Ami...why does Ami need to come?"

"Thanks, Rei-chan," Ami remarked with a rare display of dry humor.

"Eh...sorry, Ami-chan...no offense."

Setsuna moved the car into another lane, bringing them out of the Juuban district, slowing the car as they reached a red light. "Though our appearance may alter between senshi form and civilian form, our scent does not. I'd be recognizable to him, if he is an enemy. I was not attracted to the area due to a sense of youki, but to a ripple in the timestream."

"A ripple?" Ami blinked, thinking on that and holding a hand out for a moment, allowing the small blue Mercury computer to appear out of subspace. She began to tap against the keys with a hand, rapidly initiating a program on temporal distortions. "You want me to scan for it?"

"I've already determined it's inside the jinja, somewhere. There's an old wellhouse, up against the treeline. The youkai emerged from there, with a girl. They spoke fairly familiarly, so this may have been going on for some time now."

Rei leaned her head against the backrest, folding her hands in her lap and glancing out the window, watching buildings and people fly by. "So this youkai is traveling with a girl from this era?"

"That is my assumption."

"Setsuna-san," Ami queried from the back seat, wondering aloud now that she had her program established, "If there was a distortion, why did you not correct it immediately?"

Rei was curious to see Setsuna's reaction, so she turned her head to see a frown deepen on the older woman's face, wrinkling her brow. "The ripple is very small. That is why I want you to investigate it. Movement of a person from one time to another usually causes massive distortions."

"Like when Chibiusa came," Rei murmured, watching as Setsuna turned a corner, bringing them to the opposite side of the street from a well kept old shrine. She sat up a bit straighter, unbuckling her seatbelt. "We'll check it out."

"I'll be here. Don't reveal yourselves unless necessary."

Ami tilted her head to the side delicately. "I think that goes without saying, Setsuna-san."

That earned her a glance though the mirror, and an arched eyebrow. Setsuna had selected the these two Inners because of their talents, but remained worried, mainly because she knew how the Inners worked. They usually had all the stealth of a wrecking ball.

There was the sound of doors slamming to a close as Ami and Rei stepped out, Ami keeping her mini computer in her hand, closing it then tucking it into her skirt pocket. She glanced at Rei, who was looking back and forth to cross the street.

" Ami-chan," Rei said as they darted across the afternoon traffic, "follow my lead, okay? It's a jinja, it can't be too different from home."

Running along behind her, Ami shrugged, shaking her head. Rei had a point. And she didn't have any brilliant ideas of her own. So she might as well. "Okay, Rei-chan. Have you been here before?"

They reached the other side, and began to go up the shrine's steps, now taking their time as they talked. "No. Higurashi Jinja, I think it's called. Grandpa would know more about them than me. There's a family that lives here, too, I think. I'm not sure."

"Then we'll have to avoid questions."

"Yes. Let's say Grandpa wants me to look at other shrines, to see how they're run too. You're coming with me."

Ami nodded and came to the top step. They paused under the arch of the high torii, glancing around to get their bearings. It was not so different from Rei's Hikawa Jinja; a nice house off to one side, a wide, stone courtyard and the shrine itself. And as Setsuna said, against the treeline was a small mini-shrine, a wellhouse closed up from prying eyes.

"I don't see anyone...."

"Good. Then let's try 'looking' for someone," Rei decided, starting forward as Ami drew out her computer again, watching the screen and scanning. A small schematic of the shrine's layout was reflected on the monitor, and with her program running for temporal anomalies, she was able to immediately pick out the epicenter.

"Setsuna-san was correct. The wellhouse."

Rei nodded, and they headed towards the small structure in the shadows, looking around as though lost. Slowly, they angled themselves closer to the wellhouse, keeping an eye open for members of the Higurashi family. "You'd think somebody would be sweeping or something," Rei mumbled, used to her own chores around the shrine. Her head snapped around as Ami slid aside the door, revealing a set of steps down into the wellhouse.

"Empty," came the warning, and Ami slipped inside, Rei backing in behind her a moment later. It was a small place, dark through faded yellow light cut in though clerestory slats along the upper wall, providing just enough light for the two detransformed senshi to see by. It smelled of age and dust, though the rim along the outside of the well was clear, evidence of people touching it recently, and often. Lights and readings flickered over Ami's screen, various bits of data being recorded as the computer's sensors tracked distortion levels. She descended the steps, peering into the depths of the well for a moment, seeing only darkness and emptiness below. The line running along the computer's bottom bar was straight, save for the center. After a moment, in close proximity to the epicenter, it beeped. "There's a spike."

"Which means what?" the other girl asked as she began to step down closer to Ami.

"Just confirms what Setsuna-san said. You sense anything, Rei-chan?"

A frown formed on Rei's lips, and she closed her eyes, reaching out with her senses. There was an aura here, powerful enough, clashing and mingling with another powerful one. Carefully, she ran the edge of her mind along the swirling aural patterns, attempting to part them from one another, so strangely they were twined. "Youki. Strong. Though mixed with something else."

Rei opened her eyes and looked at Ami, once again frowning at her computer screen. But before Ami could tell Rei of what she was starting to discover, a sound from above startled them, making them look up.

* * *

Kagome sighed, half bent over from the weight of the books in her backpack. She marched along, heading back home. Her friends had asked her to go out for a snack after school, and though she had wanted to join them, the fact that there was an annoyed hanyou tailing her all day long was more than enough incentive to go straight home. The only reason Inuyasha hadn't ended up sitting in on her classes was under the threat of a string of 'osuwari.'

"Mou..." Kagome stopped abruptly, and was almost bowled over by Inuyasha, walking a half step behind her. She wheeled on him. "Inuyasha!"

"What?"

"You can't keep following me all day!"

Over the course of the day, he had become completely entrenched in the idea that something in this era was after the Shikon no Tama, and by virtue of that, Kagome. The last thing he wanted was for another incident like the Noh Mask, barely getting there in time before something almost killed her. Evil monsters or bizarre Sailor Senshi. Either way, now that she was out of that big box shaped building she called 'school,' he was keeping close. Watching from across the street and avoiding people was just not going to happen anymore.

"Feh!"

"I'm fine! If something were going to happen, it would have by now."

"Then why was that senshi person trying to attack you?"

"Mou..." Kagome groaned. She didn't want to tell him her theory, that the person hadn't been after her at all. Though of course, his next question would be why was she there in the first place, and of course, Kagome had no answer to that. So it was possible he was right, in which case she did want him close. "Inuyasha, following me all day is just going to get you noticed."

"So?"

He was being petulant, and before anyone on the street began to wonder why she was arguing with a boy dressed like he belonged in an old samurai movie, Kagome turned and began to walk again, glad that the torii to her shrine was in sight. "Inuyasha, you can't be seen here. People will stare."

Frowning, he leapt up ahead of her, taking her aback somewhat. He was frowning, slightly puzzled and almost looking hurt. "So you don't want to be seen with me?"

"Eh?" Kagome blinked. "No, Inuyasha, you just...you're not dressed like everyone else...and...well...people here..." she moved forward, grabbing his arm and helping to move him along. "...well...." She trailed off. People here...they wouldn't understand.

"They're not used to seeing hanyou," he sniffed, annoyed that she was dragging him along now. Throughout the day, he'd kept an eye on people from above, also searching out for the unmistakable scent of a youkai. And, though dozens and dozens of people passed below his perch, not one carried the scent he was waiting for, and not one blazed with the garnet colored aura that this 'Sailor Senshi' bore.

They reached the steps of the shrine, and Kagome released his arm as she began to walk up. "No..." She sighed, glancing at him sideways as they crested the steps, high enough to look out over most of the street below. He had such a confused look on his face, slightly mixed with injury. She realized he was thinking she didn't want to be seen with him. It wasn't that, of course...but were someone to see dog ears, claws, golden eyes...who knew what the reaction would be? Nightmares of a thousand science fiction movies flashed into her head; thoughts of him being carried off somewhere for some mysterious testing. Or possibly worse- him fighting back and blowing up half of Tokyo. Either version would be a disaster. And either way, she couldn't explain it all to him. He understood she was potentially in danger. That was all he needed to know to obsess over it.

"Oy...Kagome...." he frowned, noticing a figure in a uniform move into the wellhouse. A growl began to form in his throat. "Kuso."

Following his gaze, she turned just in time to see a flash of long hair move though the doorway, disappearing inside. Before Inuyasha could leap forward, she grabbed him. "Wait, Inuyasha, just wait a second. Do you smell a youkai?"

He hesitated. She sighed, nodding and removing her backpack, setting it down at the gateway. "Don't panic yet. Let me check it out first. Stay outside, I'll go in-"

"Like hell!"

"Osuwari!"

Splat.

"Bitch!"

But Kagome had dropped her bookbag, and was already running across the courtyard, straight for the wellhouse and the figure that disappeared within. A second later, she heard the familiar sound of Inuyasha, leaping quickly ahead of her and landing lightly on the wellhouse roof. The shoji was opened wide, revealing two girls within, looking up, having heard Inuyasha's arrival above.

They stood in the shadows, the further one just beside the well, in a white and blue school uniform, navy colored hair curling gently around her face, cerulean blue eyes wide and startled at Kagome's sudden appearance in the doorway. In her hand, she held what seemed to be a small computer or palm pilot, clutching it tightly.

The second girl stood on the steps descending down, wearing a grey uniform, shorter and with the markings of a prep school. In the shadows, it took Kagome a moment to see them clearly, and when she did, she tried to keep her face responseless. It was the girl in the prep school uniform. Long, straight black hair, with wide, violet colored eyes. It took a moment, but in that moment, Kagome recognized her as the girl from the hospital, all those months ago. And she was standing right there, barely a length from the Bone Eater's Well.

Ami and Rei spun when they heard a girl's voice call out to them, questioning, "Excuse me. What are you two doing in here? It's dangerous." She stood in the doorway, the light from the early evening behind her, silhouetting her in a square, darkening her features into a mass of indistinguishable shadows.

Recovering first, Rei sighed and smiled, doing the best job of acting she could. "Sorry. I'm Hino Rei. This is my friend, Mizuno Ami." From behind, Ami gathered herself together and shut the top of her computer, smiling gently and bowing politely as Rei introduced her. "Sorry, I know we shouldn't be here...we were looking for someone...I'm from the Hikawa Jinja, over in Juuban." The girl who introduced herself as Rei laughed lightly for a moment, and Kagome blinked, backing up a step as the two girls started to approach her, leaving the wellhouse without being ordered to. "We were looking around...sorry, Grandpa said I should look at other shrines than ours...and we couldn't find anyone, so we started looking. I'm sorry if we've disturbed anything...."

Warily, Kagome backed away, hoping Inuyasha had sense enough to keep himself away from the roof's edge, and hence easy visibility. Rei and Ami exited the mini-shrine, not looking back or resisting at all. Slowly, Kagome began to relax. They didn't seem to be there to cause any problems. Besides, neither of them could travel though the well anyway. All they would have found is an empty old well. Now in the light, she could see that they were smiling, Rei with an embarrassed look, caught in poking her nose where it didn't belong, and Ami shyly, meeting someone she did not know.

Outside, Rei watched the other girl. A simple, public school uniform, green skirt and collar, red scarf and high white knee socks, typical of a junior high student. Grey-blue eyes, and long, full black hair. From the auras she detected inside the building behind them, one distinctly belonged to this girl before her. She reached out mentally, and brushed across a second signature, behind and above them. Youki. She wished there was a way to warn Ami of what was behind them. Looking would be too obvious, and may provoke an attack. There would be no time to henshin.

She turned her attention back to the other girl, and after a moment, frowned. Looking again, there was something oddly familiar about her, though Rei could not quite place it. She saw dozens of people at her shrine, and more from school. Where would she have seen this girl's face? But even as she wondered this, the other girl was bowing politely.

"I'm Higurashi Kagome. It's all right. But the wellhouse can be dangerous if you're not careful. It's a steep drop to the bottom."

Curiously, Ami stepped forward, standing beside Rei. After fighting along side the temperamental senshi of fire, Ami could see the way her back straightened up, slightly stiffly, as though trying to hide something. It was a warning. Something was here. "Konnichiwa, Higurashi-san. We were just looking...we wouldn't try to look down something like that. Sorry for poking around. It's terribly rude of us."

Kagome sighed, relieved. If they were dangerous, they would have attacked by now, wouldn't they? A smile spread on her face. "It's okay. Really, don't worry about it. You said you were from the Hikawa Jinja, right?"

With a nod, Rei moved to fall into step beside Kagome, who was returning back to the torii for her bookbag. Ami trailed a step behind, quietly looking around for others, or, more importantly, the youkai Setsuna warned them about.

"Yes, we are," Rei was saying with a shrug, trying not to stare at the girl, attempting to place where she had seen her before. "Grandpa thinks it's time for me to look at how other shrines are run," she laughed, tossing a strand of long hair over her shoulder and shrugging. "Just doing my granddaughterly duties."

Despite the disconcerting feeling Kagome was getting from these two girls, she felt sure their laughter was genuine. Which was strange and somehow contradictory. "Well, I can introduce you to Jii-chan. Mama's probably fixing dinner by now...I'm sure that if you want to talk to someone about our shrine, Jii-chan would be ecstatic to tell you the history of everything." Reaching the dropped bookbag, Kagome bent down and began to reassemble the spilled books. She was startled to see two other sets of hands appear to help her, scooping up the scattered pencils and papers.

"You were in quite a hurry, weren't you?" Rei asked, watching the other girl's bent head. Kagome was glad the other two couldn't see her face. It gave her a second to collect her thoughts.

"I just saw someone I didn't know snooping around my house. So I came as quickly as I could."

"That's understandable," Rei laughed, then shrugged. "I'd love to talk to your Jii-chan...."

* * *

Below, across the street, Setsuna could see the figures of Ami, Rei, and the girl who had ascended the steps a minute earlier. The youkai was not there, though she had seen him go into the shrine with the girl. She kept the window of the car rolled down, glad that the weather was a bit cooler today. It had been unbearably hot the last week.

Then her car shifted, and Setsuna grabbed at the steering wheel out of instinct. Blinking, she swiveled around, back and forth, looking for another car, something that had bumped hers. Before she could find anything, the sound of honking car horns and crushing metal drew her attention to the street. There, on the black pavement, a long, serpentine creature slithered, and again her car jumped as a coil of the monster's gigantic body moved its way forward, slamming against cars and causing them to slam into each other as they braked suddenly for the monstrous obstruction to the street. People closest to the thing leapt out of their cars, swearing or screaming, running in the opposite direction as the snake reared itself up and backward, slashing out with its tail. Setsuna was stumbling out of the passenger seat, sliding across as her car was flipped up and into the building next to her. It took her only a moment to slide into the alley the creature came from, and to lift her hand into the air.

"Pluto Crystal Power! Make-up!"

* * *

Kagome was just turning, the two strangers with her, as screams erupted from the street, and the sound of crashing cars, overturned and then exploding. A hissing sounded, incredibly loud, and a towering, flat head reared its way upward, slashing out across the street and breaking light poles, electric sparks geysering up from the broken wires.

The computer was in Ami's hand again, and she was typing away rapidly with one hand, data and statistics scrolling rapidly into her vision. What she saw displayed before her made her go a very drastic white, stomach dropping out and growing queasy in shock. "Rei-chan! It's...it's a daimon!"

"_What?!_" Rei shrieked back, but knew that Ami was only confirming what she was beginning to sense. The thing did not look like a daimon. Too big, too solid...and as it roared, whipping its tail around, it blasted into the hill leading up to the shrine, nearly taking out the steps. All three girls backed away, hands covering their faces as dirt sprayed upward. Too big, too solid...too_ powerful_.

But Kagome had turned, and was running back into the courtyard, shouting the same words over and over again. "Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Youkai! Inuyasha!"

A red streak was already flying forward, white hair streaming out behind him as he raced down to the creature below, Tetsusaiga already drawn and transformed. Kagome ignored the two other girls, now finding themselves quickly melting away, disappearing around the corner of the family's house. She ran down the steps, watching as Inuyasha engaged the battle.

It was youkai, he could smell it. The snake creature reeked of youki, swirling around it in massive clouds of stench. The snake seemed to realize an opponent was coming, and swiveled its head around, jerking itself out of the way as Inuyasha made his first pass at its head, sweeping out with the Tetsusaiga. Roughly, the blade scraped along the heavy grey scaling of the serpent, squealing on the impact though causing no damage.

The tail snapped around, heavily swatting at its smaller opponent, whacking him hard in the back and sending him flying forward as he came down to land. Instead, he spun midair, hitting the brick wall of the building across the street as Tetsusaiga was smashed out of his hand, losing its transformation and skittering away down the pavement. He dropped hard to the sidewalk below.

Landing with a thud, he rose expecting the thing to be after him again, to finish him off. But it was paying no attention to Inuyasha, and was instead charging straight for the uniformed figure running down the steps of her shrine. It was after Kagome, and the tama around her neck.

"Dammit!" As he leapt forward unarmed, an orb of purple light blasted its way out of the alley beside him, smashing into the snake's side and sending it reeling back into the street. There was a familiar scent now, the same one he battled last night in the darkness. She was now running forward, ignoring him, her carved staff uplifted in her hands and preparing for another volley at the thing.

Inuyasha, for the time being, decided to operate on one concept.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

It was up again, the blast of the senshi's Dead Scream damaging, but not fatally. A large patch of the shining grey scales were now smoldering, steam rising from the impact of the energy bolt. It hissed, revealing very large, long fangs in its mouth, slit green eyes glowing as it turned its attack to the two figures below, realizing it would not be able to complete its mission with them harassing it. The tail whipped out again, smashing its way though nearer cars, and Inuyasha watched in shock as the senshi beside him leapt up equally high and fast as he did, clearing the oncoming chunks of metal. Still in the air, he saw her go on the offense again.

"Dead Scream."

Mist coalesced around her, and another ball of light was released from the orb end of the staff, hitting the snake full in the face as she dropped again the street.

It was an open opportunity to finish the thing off. "Sankontetsou!"

He ripped though the thing's neck, slicing though it with his claws. Cleaved into two parts, the body thrashed as the head of it smacked to the ground several lengths away.

Behind him, he heard running, and then Kagome was beside him, the dropped Tetsusaiga in one hand from where she had retrieved it. She angled herself down a bit, looking into his face. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"

"Feh. Fine," he replied as he took back his katana, now rusty and decrepit again. With a frown, he began to sheath it, but something stopped him. The sound of heels striking cement. Inuyasha and Kagome looked up to see the black and red clad senshi approaching, her staff leveled for another blast.

"Step away from the youkai," she said flatly, garnet eyes hard and looking at Kagome. Normally, that tone was not one to be contested with. It was an order.

Defensive fury welled up in Kagome. "He just helped you kill that youkai! Why are you trying to...."

She stopped abruptly as a bubbling sound reached her ears, and she spun, Inuyasha and the senshi following her gaze to the headless body laying behind them. Black blood was seeping from where Inuyasha's Sankontetsou had ripped it in half, but now the skin was oozing, sputtering, and the body jerking as something new began to regenerate out of the empty head.

"Shit!" Inuyasha swore as Tetsusaiga once again grew ready for battle in his hand. In that bare instant it took of preparation, the thing's body snapped upward, arching and sprouting. Seven thin lines shot from the neck, each forming an eyeless head of teeth and fangs.

The long tail was already wrapped halfway around the street, and with heads now returned, it lashed around, forcing the Inuyasha to grab Kagome and leap upward to avoid being hit.

From the hillside, two new voices entered the fray, leaping down from the jinja's high entrance.

"Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

"Mars Flame Sniper!"

A roaring torrent of water poured out of the silken strings of a winged white harp, tearing into the base of the neck and sending the youkai sprawling, rolling into the showering sparks of one of the broken lightposts. From the other new senshi, a single arrow of fire sped, striking one of the heads just below the jawline and searing it off, scorching the new head to close, before another one could regenerate out of it, leaving it helplessly thrashing without teeth to bite with.

The blue clad senshi saw this and called, "Mars! Use the Mandala! Burn the heads to a close before they form!"

"Right!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" A column of water tossed it back again, pinning it to the building as the one called Mars rushed forward.

"Burning Mandala!"

Rings of fire shot out at random, slicing though two more of the heads before it freed itself from the deluge sent by Mercury. This was more than enough time for Inuyasha to land with Kagome, and decide that he was not going to let a bunch of girls finish of this thing off without him.

He left Kagome behind an overturned car, knowing full well she was going to come running out into the fray again once he was gone. But it gave him a moment to get back into the battle. Destroying the entire area in front of Kagome's house wasn't something he particularly wanted to do. The Kaze no Kizu would be used as a last resort, should the senshi people not get the hint when he removed the remaining four heads at once.

There was a moment's opening as Mars began to power up for another run on the thing with her rings of fire. He took it to swing Tetsusaiga, while the remaining heads were focused on Mercury, once again preparing an attack to cover for Mars.

The massive blade sliced though easily, cleanly taking off the remaining heads, sending them flopping to the ground as their necks began to bubble up again. The senshi saw this, and Mars continued her attack again. "Fire Soul!"

And now, from Mercury, "Shine Snow Illusion!"

Two heads were hit with the ball of fire, flames consuming them as the remaining two were hit with a tunnel of snow and ice, freezing them closed as Inuyasha landed, spinning around to watch as the remaining senshi once again gathered the mists to her, a "Dead Scream" blazing though the fallen teeth and fangs, vaporizing them before any kind of new body could form.

With a satisfied snort, Inuyasha kicked one of the chunks of the snake's body out of his way as he began his way back towards Kagome, who was now heading back into the mess that was the street. Sparks were still showering from one of the lightposts, the scalded and frozen remains of the youkai sprawled out before them. The tip of its tail twitched once, then twice, then lay still.

The three Sailor Senshi watched as Kagome reached Inuyasha, silently asking if he was all right. They watched him shrug in response, then both of them turned to face the other three. The tallest of them, the first one they met, stood to the center, Mars and Mercury fanning either side of her, Mercury holding her winged harp again, Mars with a bow of flames in her hand, an arrow nocked and ready to fly, should anything happen.

Then the center one spoke, from before, in black and red. "Invited by the new era, the senshi of Revolution, Sailor Pluto."

In turn, the other two introduced themselves, warily watching Inuyasha and Kagome. The other with long black hair spoke next, in a sailor fuku of red, a purple bow on the front. "With the blessings of the planet of fire and war, Mars, Sailor Mars."

And then to conclude, the final one of the three, dressed in blue, with lighter blue ribbons, "And with the blessings of the planet of water and wisdom, Mercury, Sailor Mercury."

They hesitated, weapons ready and waiting for movement on the other side. The other two hesitated uncertainly for a moment, and then the girl spoke. "Higurashi Kagome. And Inuyasha."

Sailor Pluto spoke first, using her staff to gesture at Inuyasha, then the snake. "He is a youkai, like this one. He does not belong here."

"Feh!" Inuyasha cracked his knuckles in response, and the three Sailor Senshi tensed, ready in case he should attack. "I belong here just as much as you do, babaa. I can smell the age on you."

Pluto's eyes went wide, and then she almost chuckled in in amusement at his response. Nobody had ever called Sailor Pluto an 'old hag' before. But her amusement was short lived. The Timestaff was pointed straight at him. "You do not belong in this era, youkai. There are temporal distortions all around you. They must be corrected."

She lifted the staff in the air, and Mars followed her lead, pointing her arrow straight at Inuyasha. Mercury, however, was frowning as she was watching this. As the other two senshi prepared to fight again, Kagome placed herself in front of Inuyasha, betting that if Pluto had told her to move before, she was not out to attack a human. A moment later, she was proven correct, as they lowered their weapons.

"Move out of the way!" Mars called to Kagome, who now had her hands out, spread to cover as much space as possible.

"No way! Inuyasha just helped you kill that thing, and now you're going to try to kill him? You'll have to take me out too!"

"Kagome, get out of the fucking way!" Inuyasha snarled as he tried to push her aside. Who knew if they would take her seriously, and attack regardless? Of course, this promptly earned him an,

"Osuwari."

Splat.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

The three senshi were simply staring as Inuyasha hit the street, face first, as the girl ordered him to 'sit'. Kagome was ignoring his shouting, and was standing firmly where she was, glaring hard at the three senshi across from her. But then Inuyasha stopped in his tirade over her stupidity, ears swiveling around. "Oy. Kagome. What's that noise?"

"Noise?" Kagome blinked, glancing at the mauled corpse of the snake. It lay still, unmoving. It was Sailor Mars that heard it first.

"Sirens," she said, glancing at the other two beside her. "The police are on their way."

"Then we'll finish this later," Pluto decided, focusing narrowly on Inuyasha. "If the distortions are coming from that wellhouse, then you won't go very far."

The three turned, preparing to run before the police arrived to interrogate, or reporters arrived with photographers for the news. But what Kagome said next stopped them.

"Hino-san! Mizuno-san! Wait!"

Mars and Mercury froze, Pluto a moment later, all turning with varied expressions of surprise on their faces. Kagome had taken two steps forward. "You can hide from the police in my shrine, if you want. Just don't try to kill Inuyasha...."

There was an exchange of looks between the three senshi, an unspoken agreement. Recognition though a transformation suggested an enormous amount of spiritual power, and was virtually impossible, save for another senshi, which was difficult enough. Then Mars spoke. "Thank you for the offer, Higurashi-san. But that's not a good idea." The sirens grew louder, and she glanced furtively towards the growing wails. "Meet us at sunset, at the Hikawa Jinja, in the Juuban district. We'll discuss more then." She lowered her bow of fire, and then it faded from her hands. "No fighting. Promise."

"How can we trust you on that?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously, aware there was something strange going on though the undertones of this conversation. Kagome, though calling Mars and Mercury something else, had just surprised them, and taken the upper hand somehow.

"Sailor Senshi do not lie," Pluto said simply. And as she spoke, she lowered her weapon, letting it rest in both her hands. The three of them broke into a run, leaping high and quick, heading for the alley across the street.

As Pluto and Mars disappeared into the shadows, Mercury hesitated a moment, turning back to them. "Inuyasha...it would be best if you hid yourself. The police will want to question everyone here. They will not like finding..." her brow knotted quizzically. There was a discrepancy in her readings on his youki. A fluctuation she had noticed just before Kagome interrupted them. She had no experience with their race, but she knew how to analyze her data, raw as it was. "...they will not like finding someone with the blood of a youkai in them."

And with that, she leapt after the other two.

* * *

Terms of note:

youki: a youkai's ki force, or spirit. Think an aura.

torii: a gateway to a shrine

hanyou: half youkai

fuku: literally 'uniform' though usually used when referring to one of the senshi's Sailor outfits

osuwari: SIT!

henshin: transform

konnichiwa: hello

babaa: old lady, old hag

Well, one more chapter down...so the ball is rolling now. As for where the snake youkai came from, well, wait another chapter and things will begin to clear up on that. ^.~

Arigatou, minna-sama, for all the reviews! I love the feedback...I can't wait til you start getting to some of the comedy parts. Hey, people from the past in the present...you don't think I'm leaving out some jokes on that do you?

I mentioned before, this is based off the manga formats. In the SM anime, daimon were those usual underclad monster women. In the manga, they were these kind of cloudy creatures, and I tried to describe them that way in Chapter 1. Rei and Ami are both a little...surprised...to see a daimon looking the way it does here. Why does it look like a youkai? _Is_ it a youkai? Well, again, wait another chapter and things will clear up on that. ^.~

Also, one more arigatou, this time to Quicksilver! Thanks for the feedback on the chapters. ^.~

Hm, not much by way of notes this time around. So, until next chapter.

Ja ne!

~Queen

Coming up next in Chapter 3: Witch-

A shallow pool lay in the middle of an expanse of cleared floor, water on its surface very still and reflective. The lip of the water was upraised, and she was able to sit on the ledge if she balanced carefully.

She peered inside, and it showed her the past.....


	4. Witch

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,_

_And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;_

_And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor_

_Shall be lifted- nevermore!_

_-'The Raven,' Edgar Allan Poe_

Chapter 3- Witch

The room was dark, fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling kept dim, for the laboratory's lone occupant preferred them that way. It smelled faintly of sawdust from an overused pencil sharpener, and of cleaning solvents and chemical liquids used for storing animal matter; a pungent mix. Though at this time, the lab was still, experiments set aside for a very different kind of activity. A woman of indeterminable age sat at a wide desk, scattered papers and crates of documents settled around her, untouched for some time. She was busy, her hands holding a small paintbrush, lovingly adding details of red to the scarf of a tiny waxen doll she held in well manicured hands.

After a moment, she dipped the brush again, closed one dark eye, and carefully applied the final stroke. Smooth black hair hung on either side of her face, tendrils not daring to escape her styling. The doll was nearly complete, with only the eyes and hair left to color in with her tempera paints. Critically, she scrutinized her handiwork though a pair of small round spectacles, turning the poppet over in her hands to see if she had missed any spots. Her glasses gleamed slightly in the reflection from the lamp over her desk. She was nothing if not meticulous, and perfection in her dolls often gave her an edge over others who attempted to rival the use of puppets. She had seen a master work several centuries ago; and look how he ended up.

She sniffed in disdain over affairs of the past, pushing her glasses up onto the bridge of her nose. Centuries of patience would pay off quite well, in the end. The pieces of the game all lay out before her now. Even the unexpected appearance of the Shikon no Tama in this decade, a pleasant surprise. With everyone together, it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.

Lightly, she blew on the gashes of red on the poppet, willing them to dry a bit faster. Her next doll would use ever so much more red paint. She sighed. She'd have to run to the store again.

Standing, she set the figurine down to give it a few minutes to dry before starting the eyes. She didn't want it to smudge. The chair's wheels squealed in indignation at her movement, and she kicked it back into place for its complaint before removing a white lab coat. Underneath, a black dress was revealed, straps crisscrossing her back. Idly, she stretched, yawning. Working too long last night, now that the senshi had discovered that warping at the shrine. Idiots, all of them. It had been there for ages, though she supposed there was no reason for it to be detected if no one used it for almost five hundred years.

Taking off her glasses, she unfastened the chain that held them to her neck. Really, she must lay off these late nights. Though the darkness, she glanced outward, hearing a faint noise, the sound of wings flapping against still air. A moment later, a dark shape glided into her view, and she held up a pale hand to let the sleek black raven alight.

Silkily, she asked her familiar, "Ah, did everything go as we planned, Evermore? No interruptions?"

Her response was a harsh caw, and a ruffling of feathers as the bird shook himself, settling down. She brought him a bit closer, smoothing his wings with a hand and cooing lightly, making soothing sounds, pleased at the response. Phase 1 would be complete then, the two groups meeting and becoming aware of the other's presence. She knew that to break the senshi, it was best to separate them. Their power came from working in a unit, from joining their powers. The incidents with Queen Nehelenia of the Dead Moon proved that well enough.

Walking though her laboratory, she noticed she had failed to put away one of the bunsen burners. Shaking her head, she set it back into its cabinet, neatly storing it with the rest while Evermore shifted, scolding her for disrupting him. She moved him to her shoulder in response.

Everything was neat. A place for everything, everything in place. Rows of tissue samples labeled on the counter beside the cabinet. Snake youkai tissue beside lizard, lizard beside amphibian. She had a few samples from aquatic fishes as well, of course, but since battles were more likely to be fought on land, she doubted she'd need them much for the time being. Then of course the mammalian families, separated by species. Ape, horse, cat, dog, wolf, bat, and so on and so forth. And of course her favorite section, the avians. Samples of raven and crow, vulture, hawk, eagle...all collected samples of youkai DNA.

There were advantages of being a scientist. Of wandering the planet for five hundred years and watching humans develop the sciences of biology, chemistry, physics. She smirked, running her hand along the edge of the fluted test tubes. The Witches had really deteriorated after she left. Kaolinite, for all her powers, was a fool. Not exploring all the possibilities, the wealth of magicks on this planet. Of course, raising oneself from a mere Witch to a full Magus of the Tau Ceti System required a battle with the current Magus. And sadly, she had lost, escaping here in disgrace.

But that was only the beginning.

Boredly, she lifted a hand to the air, and a smooth staff formed in her palm. It was white gold, the end twisted into the symbol of Infinity. Within the curves, a pitch black star, last remaining evidence of her former position working for Master Pharaoh 90. When Germatoid and Kaolinite had arrived in this dimension several months ago, she had been afraid. She was not ready, not ready to challenge the invincible Mistress 9, who they summoned with the power of that brat Sailor Chibimoon's Imperium Silver Crystal. As hard as she worked, she cheered when the senshi summoned the Holy Grail and obliterated her old 'family' from the Tau System.

Good riddance. See you later, suckers.

And the inheritance they left in their wake was priceless to one who knew to use it. Daimon. Daimon remaining, unused in the ruins of Germatoid's labs. Daimon, the failed transformation of one like her. A spirit from Tau Ceti, needing a Vessel as a Host. True, they were parasites. Leeches in a way, feeding off the body and soul of their Host shell. Daimon, an incomplete fusion of a Tau spirit and a human body.

She wondered why so many failed. Germatoid was no fool, and he was in charge of the testing then. Over ninety percent failed, in her estimation. The only truly successful fusion was Germatoid himself. Mistress 9 had met her match in the girl Sailor Saturn. Heh, obliterated by a human. How pathetic, regardless of the fact the girl was a Sailor Senshi.

Mid-thought, she caught herself. Don't underestimate them. They always managed to defeat everyone else. Pride and arrogance will be a downfall and weakness. Know your enemy. Don't underestimate your enemy. Plan ahead. Brains could compensate for power.

Though of course, when she realized why the other Death Busters failed, she howled with laughter. Luck. Pure dumb luck led her the the answer. After all, she knew daimon could fuse and work in complete synch with a creature of the Earth.

She was living proof of it.

The fools had been looking for the wrong kind of Hoste, the wrong source for Vessels. She allowed herself to laugh at their attempts to merge human and daimon. When she realized that was their plan, she also knew it was only a matter of time before the senshi found them and obliterated them.

Though on her less self-important days, she realized there was little chance of them discovering what she had, even on accident. Youkai grew more and more rare down the centuries. Too many humans, spreading too fast. They mated and produced offspring almost exponentially. Heh, the ability to take over the world was based mostly off the speed of their ability to give birth to more little brats, and the fact they seemed to think the world belonged to them. Youkai hardly produced as much. And slowly they died away. When she realized this was happening, she began to collect samples; blood, feathers, hair...using her knowledge from Tau Ceti and magic. Figuring somewhere down the years the youki in them would be useful. And with the invasion from the Tau System and their attempts to take Hosts, it gave her a brilliant idea for revenge.

Then, one day, in the evening newspaper, there was a side story about a mysterious death at a local park. The body of a respectable woman had been found. Headless. It only took Evermore a few minutes to fly out to the playground, and discover lingering traces of youki. In this era, youkai didn't make themselves that conspicuous. That meant either a stupid youkai, or a crazed one. And there was only one thing that could make a youkai either stupid enough or insane enough to risk detection like that.

Shikon no Tama.

Walking though her laboratory, there was one very not scientific thing in its center. When she chose this building as her lab, she picked it because it was in the Delta Triangle the Death Busters were attempting to invade. Though at the same time, within reach of Mugen Academy, their nucleus. Magic flowed easily around this place, and that made her attempts at scrying easier.

A shallow pool lay in the middle of an expanse of cleared floor, water on its surface very still and reflective. The lip of the water was upraised, and she was able to sit on the ledge if she balanced carefully. Looking into the water, she saw herself there, pale white skin, smooth hair black as a raven's wing. Jet black eyes, thick black lashes.

Evermore crowed, hopping off her shoulder and onto her lap, shifting his weight before flapping his wings to gain her attention. She cuffed him lightly, enough to silence him and keep him from disturbing the water.

She peered inside, and it showed her the past.

***

_Just Outside The Village_

_ Sengoku Jidai_

_ Approximately One Week Before Inuyasha is Pinned to the Goshinboku Tree_

A small hand reached out, clasping the flowering herb her elder sister pointed out. The little girl tugged on it, uprooting it and revealing the tuber in the ground.

"Onee-sama? Is this the right one?" she asked, checking her own work before pulling up any more of the bitter root.

"Yes, Kaede. We'll boil it down when we get home." Kikyou smiled faintly, glad her sister was picking up on everything she told her. She'd be a fine miko someday, and someday soon. She stood, brushing leaves of grass off the folds of her loose red pants, letting it fall back to the ground. The valley was in full bloom, insects chirping and calling to each other noisily in the day's warmth. The sky was clear of clouds, and the sun shone warmly on the bright day. A grasshopper sprung up, landing on Kikyou's sleeve, and with a bemused smile, she brushed it back into the grass. "If you're nearly done, I'll collect our things."

"I hate doing this."

Her sister's words gave her pause, and she frowned, slightly puzzled. Kikyou had been under the impression Kaede enjoyed learning of the different plants. "Kaede?"

The little girl sat back on her haunches, throwing the last root into the woven basket beside her. She frowned and gave her elder sister a sharp look. "Not this. Helping _him._"

This, though, was a common enough complaint. "Kaede, he's just an injured man. Onigumo can't hurt you."

Her response was to turn back to the flowers before her and select another one to pull up. She yanked on it hard, and the bulb was unearthed. Kaede beat at the hairy roots of it, removing the damp soil. "An injured thief. He's not a good man, Onee-sama. I don't like him. He's creepy and bad. And I don't like the way he looks at you."

Kikyou sighed. Helping Onigumo...he was burned beyond belief, helpless on his own. She was a miko, and part of her duty as a miko was to help people when they were hurt or injured. She did this for the villagers, for people brought to her. People in need of her help physically, spiritually. She was tired. Kaede would help her someday, but...she glanced to the treeline just beyond the hill where they plucked herbs. There was nothing there but the stirring of branches in the light wind. Though of course that meant nothing. Furtively, she looked to the open sky. A bird circled high overhead, and she frowned at it for a moment.

The sound of Kaede continuing, "I don't like him. He's evil, Onee-sama," interrupted her thoughts, distracting her.

With a frown, Kikyou told her, "He's been burned, Kaede. Inhuman appearances do not necessarily mean an inhuman nature. We'll boil the roots when we get back home. I'm going to get our things. You finish here."

That earned her a 'humph' from Kaede, and another viscously yanked up root. Quietly, Kikyou walked back to the basket of roots, laid atop a basket. A few had spilled out, the straw carrier turned on its side. Carefully, she scooped the herbs back in, snapping off some excess leaves as she did so, to save work later.

Something tingled on the edge of her senses, and she had enough time to look up again in surprise as the bird in the air folded its wings and dove, shrieking, downward.

It emanated jaki, an aura of evil so pungent she could feel it pouring downward like a raincloud. But there was something alien to it, an exotic sense distinct from usual youki. Though there was no time to dwell on the power the raven youkai was giving off. Her bow and arrows were there on the blanket beside her, and Kikyou snatched them up as she heard Kaede give out a shrill scream.

What happened next was impossible to see clearly. Youkai of that size and type did not transform into a more human appearance. Though this one was making every effort to do so as it somehow latched onto Kaede. There was a brilliant brightness, and a shifting of size as the thing tried to change between one form and another. It was only partially successful. Ragged black feathers sprouted out of a half-formed humanoid shape, the face a warped cross between avian and human, a beak and half molting feathers surrounding a pair of human shaped eyes, black as pitch. Releasing the girl, it was now reaching with clawed hands for something hovering over Kaede, something glowing and crystalline.

"Die!"

The bolt was released from the bow, the string vibrating at the tension. The arrowhead glowed in the daylight, evidence of exorcising power shoved into the shot. A second before impact, the thing screeched, leaping backward and flapping stubbly wings, attempting to get airborne as a second then third arrow followed the first, each closer to the leaping, jerking target. It screamed again, this time sounded from a human throat, as it wheeled on its attacker.

Black eyes glowed a viscous shade of red as the archer came into her vision. Her body was in pain, half formed, devoid of energy needed to survive. A soul, a heart, something beating, something alive, to feed on, to grow stronger with. The little girl was strong, young prey, now lying unconscious below her. The woman she faced was even stronger, in the full bloom of her powers. But something else was there, an aura only partially purified. It was a feast for her, hidden somewhere under the folds of the white robes of the miko.

There was no reaction on the face of the woman, as she drew another arrow, nocking the bolt for a final shot. With the youkai coming straight at her, it would be impossible to miss.

"Sankontetsusou!"

The youkai gave a pitched scream, so ear shatteringly high they winced as Inuyasha's claws sunk into flesh and feathers. She writhed in pain, abandoning her attack. Arrows she could attempt to dodge, but claws that kept coming again and again she could not fend off. Wildly, the youkai flapped her ragged wings, painfully moving back into the more comfortable form of a bird. Energized by fear, she flapped hard, out across the open valley, where he could not follow.

"Kuso!" A string of obscenities followed the flight of the creature, dwindling away as it flapped higher and higher, straining off into the distance.

Furious it had escaped, Inuyasha spun around, watching Kikyou rush to Kaede, her bow discarded behind her. He joined them after a moment, watching Kikyou as she tried to determine what exactly the faintly glowing crystal was.

Clearly, it was connected to Kaede and her life. It hovered over her, sparkling, glittering, the slightly reddish edges of the crystal flashing in the afternoon sunlight. Kaede was pale, eyes closed, brows furrowed in pain from having it ripped out of her chest. Lightly, Kikyou cupped it in her hands, not quite touching the hovering pinpoint of brilliance.

"What the hell is that?"

The light of her sister's soul reflected in Kikyou's face, and her lips drew thin. "A crystal. A crystal of her pure soul, Inuyasha."

That creature was attempting to feed itself off Kaede's soul, to devour it and grow stronger because of it. And now, escaped, it would try again somewhere, sometime, gathering more, to grow stronger. But right now....

Very, very gently, Kikyou prayed that as she pushed it back towards Kaede's body, it would remerge with her physical self. And, after a moment's hesitation, it did. Light floated over the girl's slack face, disappearing as the crystal sank back into her chest. Peering over her sister, Kikyou brushed back a lock of hair. "How are you, Kaede?"

A small hand tightened on Kikyou's wide sleeve. "Onee-sama..." she blinked her eyes open once, then saw the face of Inuyasha hovering behind her sister's. Her eyes went wide, slightly frightened at seeing the hanyou so close. His response was to snort.

"Feh! Baka."

She made a small sound, slightly strangled, tightening her grip on Kikyou's arm. Inuyasha snorted again, then turned and ran off wordlessly, back into the trees beyond. He left the two women sitting there, watching uncertainly. After a moment, Kaede coughed, fist tightening to white on Kikyou's sleeve as she curled up, feeling ill. And, gently, Kikyou gathered up Kaede in her arms, and began to make her way back home.

***

In the chamber of the laboratory, the water rippled, growing still after the reflection faded, ending the display of her memory. It portrayed her past, though could scry on the present. Yet as always, the future was cloudy, shifting and twisting into unknown ways.

She sat on the lip of the pool, her staff held lightly in one hand, fingers delicately running over the black star on its tip. She had found prey, eventually. Enough energy from human souls to give her back her strength. And as her power returned, she found it easier to make the transfer to human form, not the monstrosity she could only shift to just after her arrival on Earth. Humans walked the Earth far more easily than other creatures, and their Hoste was more powerful. The raven youkai she used as a Vessel was small, constricting, and though humans were not much better, they eventually became the Earth's dominant species. There were advantages in wearing their form.

Unconsciously, she ran a hand over her chest, feeling her collarbones beneath her skin, and where they connected to her shoulders. Those claws were sharp, and they cut into her ragged flesh. It took two centuries for the livid red scars to heal. When strong enough, she had returned to the village, thinking to make him pay for damaging her beauty. Though by then, she could only rage helplessly that he was already dead, pinned to a large tree in the forest. When calmed down, she managed to get the full story from a villager.

The woman he had protected that day out in the valley, a miko, had shot him dead. Pinned to the tree, he would stay there forever. This was the first time she learned what that energy was, pulsating from the woman, a miko named Kikyou. A jewel called Shikon no Tama, Jewel of Four Souls, able to give energy to a youkai. No wonder her new youkai body craved that power. The man, a hanyou called Inuyasha, had attacked the village, and so he had died at her hand, defending it. The tama was burned with her body, and far out of reach.

Though it did puzzle her as to why he would protect the woman one day, and then attempt to hurt her the next. Humans are bizarre creatures.

Many years later, she returned to the island nation, finding it still embroiled in feudal wars. Though then, rumor had it that Shikon no Tama had reappeared.

Idly, she scratched the feathers under Evermore's neck, and he tried to peck at her hand. She snapped her fingers at him for silence, and he subsided. There, surrounded by her bottles and potions, poppets and samples, she was ready.

The Death Busters were fools. The Sailor Senshi knew nothing. The hanyou and the girl would fit into things nicely. Everything was ready.

After a moment, she smiled.

* * *

Terms of note:

Goshinboku- the sacred tree Inuyasha was pinned to

Onee-sama- a very polite form of 'older sister.'

miko- a Shinto priestess

jaki- an evil aura

shinu- die

kuso- general swearing and pottymouthing...basically equates to 'shit.'

A big arigatou to everyone who's reviewed! I'm so happy. ^_^ You like my insanity! (Insanity is fun, ne?) Keep leaving reviews as to what you think. It's so fun (at least on my part) to see how you guys think the characters are going to interact. I hope I've got some surprises up my sleeve for you. ^.~

Hm...well, what do you think of our villainess? I was trying to blend the _Inuyasha_ and _Sailormoon_ storylines together as seamlessly as I could. So, our villainess is a daimon possessing the body of a youkai.

In the _Inuyasha_ storyline, there was a crow youkai at the very beginning- the one that swallowed the Shikon no Tama- getting it high enough for the pieces to fall all over the countryside when Kagome hit it with her arrow. Crow youkai are not strong enough to transform- like the way Sesshoumaru does. They don't have a more human appearance. I'm assuming this is the same for all crow youkai, and since ravens are in the same biological family as crows, I'm also assuming they can't. Merging with an entity like a daimon altered it and allowed it to transform. I'm pushing things a bit- but really, it's no fun if your main villain is just a gigantic bird. So she gets a human-ish form. Will you let me bend the rules a bit?

As for her back story...in the SM _manga_, the Death Busters arrive on Earth when Sailor Saturn is young, taking over the bodies of a few people and spreading from there. Our villainess here came much, much earlier, breaking away from Tau Ceti and arriving during the sengoku jidai. Tau Ceti is apparently another dimension/solar system.

The person she refers to as 'Germatoid' took over the Host of Sailor Saturn's (Tomoe Hotaru's) father, Professor Tomoe Soichi. He was not a Witch or Magus, best I can tell. Hotaru herself was possessed by Mistress 9, who was second only to their leader, Pharaoh 90.

There's really no way of knowing what life was like on Tau Ceti. I'm relying a bit on the SM anime- the Witches 5 were incessantly infighting, so I assume if any of them powered up enough to challenge a leader, they'd fight it out for supremacy. The villainess here lost, and escaped to Earth during the sengoku jidai. Make sense? ^^;;

Well, I know, not a whole lot of the usual cast in this chapter- ie, Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippou or any of the senshi. But it was needed to establish the villain. You'll find out her name the next time she appears. ^.^

So, til next chapter!

Ja ne!

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next in Chapter 4: Speak-

"It's all right, Inuyasha. They won't be enemies. And if they are..." slowly, she slipped her arms around his neck. "...we'll fight our way out, don't worry. Really."

He nodded, tightening his grip on her, and then leapt across the street, across the jinja's torii, and then down into a tree lined courtyard.


	5. Speak

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_Bees accomplish nothing save as they work together, and neither do men._

_-Elbert Hubbard_

_

* * *

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Chapter 4- Speak

Kagome held on tightly, leaning forward as Inuyasha leapt from rooftop to rooftop. The sun had sunk into the western horizon several minutes ago, and the two of them were now rapidly making their way to the Juuban district. Kagome only knew the approximate area of the Hikawa Jinja. Asking Jii-chan only produced confused directions, and recollections of Grandpa Hino when they were a bit younger. Not that Jii-chan and Grandpa knew each other well. They were associates, both in the same business of running a jinja.

The police arrived just as Kagome and Inuyasha had cleared the torii to her shrine, and she had quickly shoved him into the house, as Mama and Jii-chan determined it safe enough to come out, after all the clamor of battle just outside their home. Souta arrived on their street to find police cars and yellow 'Do Not Cross' tape, sectioning off the area. None of the officials knew exactly what to do with a gigantic, burned and frozen snake carcass. Specialists from several fields were trying very hard to figure out what should be done about it.

Meanwhile, reporters swarmed around, snapping photographs of the carnage. Rumors immediately began to fly about the thing; a mutated experiment? An alien invader? Demons from another dimension? A gigantic sea creature, bent on destroying Tokyo? Just like Godzilla! Wow, they were lucky it was good and dead now. Who had killed it? The Sailor Senshi? Had to be! Who else could have taken on that thing? Awesome!

It took some few minutes for detectives to make their way up the shrine's steps, hoping to get statements from the Higurashi family. When all but the missing Souta claimed to have hidden in the house after the noise, they were eventually left alone. Eventually, Mama insisted that her son be allowed to come home, passing though the restricted zone, the detective smiled and had a very confused and worried Souta brought up.

And now Kagome was hanging on to the back of Inuyasha's red kimono, glad they were able to slip away. There were fewer people and cleaning crews as time wore away, and they snuck out the back, giving terse explanations to Kagome's now very worried family. The evening was cool, and she felt oddly glad of the warmth radiating from his back. Despite her being glad they had friends to travel with now, she liked being alone with him sometimes. Though Sango, Miroku and Shippou must be at least curious was to what was taking Inuyasha so long to return. Her disappearing for a couple days was not too unusual, but Inuyasha didn't usually remain. Feh, Miroku-eechi-sama was probably reasoning they had run off to...Kagome blushed scarlet, trying not to start giggling hysterically or acting bizarre as she rode along.

"Oy, which way?"

"Um...ah...left. I wish Jii-chan could give directions. We're in Juuban, it can't be that hard to find."

He glanced over his shoulder at her, watching how she was trying very hard to control her face. Kagome could take the strangest ideas into her head sometimes. "So, you said something about recognizing one of them?"

Glad to be able to take her mind off of her very complicated relationship with Inuyasha, Kagome nodded, pushing some of his white hair out of her face as it flew backward. He landed on another roof, then leapt up again, gliding along on the currents of wind. "The Pluto one was the one you fought last night...but it was Hino-san...the one who said she was Mars, she was the one I saw in the hospital I told you about. I'm sure of it."

Again, he landed on a rooftop, pausing and sniffing the air for possible youkai. Smelling none, he also thought to sniff for the scents of Sailors Pluto, Mercury and Mars. Pluto smelled of age and mist, an old smell though not unpleasant. Mars smelled like fire, slightly sulfuric though with the scent of cedarwood, incense. Mercury, also true to the element she displayed, had a clear scent of rainwater, freshly fallen and sweet. The last thing the Mercury one said was slightly troubling, however. Did she realize he was hanyou? And if she did, what of it? Would that change anything? "How many of these senshi people are there? Are they all girls?"

Kagome clung on as he took the air yet again, and a moment later she spotted the familiar layout of a Shinto temple. "Inuyasha! There!"

"I see it!"

She hesitated as he continued to move along, thinking about his last question. "I don't know...I mean, like I said, they're just urban legends...when I was at Mimi Hanyu's concert...ano..." she mentally ran though all the people she saw. Seven on one side, then the other two on the stage, the ones who said they were Uranus and Neptune. Were they enemies of the others? Would they be there? But then there was also Pluto, who she had not seen...so...at least ten...and one had been a man. Though was he a senshi? Kagome sighed. "Expect at least eight. Maybe a couple more...and there was the one guy with them at the concert."

"Yeah," he replied, and she could hear his tone was serious.

"Inuyasha...are you worried?"

He landed for the last time across the street from the jinja, turning his head to look at her as she leaned around to face him. "At least eight of these girls who can throw out magic like that? That know how to work together? Kagome, you don't bring your arrows to this era."

She sagged against his back, taking that in. With all she had told him of the senshi, and what they had seen before...if they turned out to be enemies, then she would be of very little help in a fight against them. No Sango, no Miroku, not even Shippou to help them out. A ring of very powerful adversaries, strangely dressed though they may be. Though through it, she couldn't help but feel pleased. It was a rare event that Inuyasha admitted, especially to her, that he was worried about anything. "It's all right, Inuyasha. They won't be enemies. And if they are..." slowly, she slipped her arms around his neck. "...we'll fight our way out, don't worry. Really."

He nodded, tightening his grip on her, and then leapt across the street, across the jinja's torii, and then down into a tree lined courtyard.

Kagome tapped him on the shoulder, and he released her, letting her slide down to the ground. Furtively, she brushed off the skirt of her school uniform, letting the familiarity of the motion calm her as Inuyasha looked around. It seemed empty, though there was light in one of the windows of the house.

"Let's try the shrine..." Kagome murmured in suggestion, and the two of them began to walk forward. It was quiet, though the wind rustled the leaves in the trees, muting out the sounds of the city beyond the temple. A moment later, they spotted several figures standing outside the doors to the shrine, three they recognized, and two new ones they did not. They were speaking in soft tones to each other, and they seemed to realize at once they were being watched.

Standing in the shadow of the shrine, they turned, quietly waiting as Inuyasha and Kagome approached, warily looking around. Pluto, Mercury and Mars stood to one side, just behind the other two figures, another girl and a tall man. He wore a slim tuxedo, a black cloak rimmed with red, and a white domino mask over his eyes, preventing recognition. Clear blue eyes peered out from behind the mask, black bangs just falling into them.

However, it was clearly the new girl who they were there to meet. She wore the same kind of fuku as the other three, though the skirt was layered in many colors, yellow, pink, navy blue, a navy blue collar, high white boots, and a pair of smooth white wings extended from her back. Long blonde hair was done up into two pigtails, trailing down, and she turned wide blue eyes onto the newcomers. Rather than a tiara like the others, between her brows rested a perfect, golden crescent moon.

"Konbanwa!" the girl called, waving a white gloved hand and smiling. Sailor Mars tried very hard not to roll her eyes, and failed. The greeting made Inuyasha and Kagome stop, a little surprised. A warm welcome was not exactly what they expected. She was walking forward, trailed by the man, and then a step behind her the other three senshi followed, with varied expressions of suspicion, curiosity and wariness.

Inuyasha frowned, ready in case they were to attack. Before him, they blazed power, clouds of aura swirling hugely around them in varying shades of red, blue, gold, and silver. Around him, he could pick up other scents, lining the edges of the trees there in the jinja. Others were watching from the shadows of the trees, observing from the darkness. Scents cascaded against each other, mingling, though though them all he picked out a faint tracery of flowers and rain, familiar somehow, though blended heavily with the scent of damp earth...the smell of either a flowerbed or a freshly turned grave.

"Who are you?" he asked after a moment, as their approach halted.

The girl with her hair in buns and pigtails blinked, then looked a bit embarrassed. "Oh! Sorry!" A gentle smile crossed her face, very lightly touched by the light of the sunset behind the shrine. She lifted a hand and rested it against her chest lightly, indicating herself. "I am Sailor Moon."

It was from her the aura of silver came, radiating outward warmly, with a simple purity of power and brightness. Inuyasha twitched, a bit uncertain for the first time. No attack, no evil aura to make her an enemy. But still, he wasn't going to let his guard down. Not in front of Kagome. But before he could speak, she was continuing, "This is Tuxedo Kamen-sama...You must be Kagome and Inuyasha...you've already met Pluto, Mercury and Mars. They told me you helped them fight with a daimon...."

"Daimon?" Inuyasha growled. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about. That thing was a youkai!"

"Youkai?" Sailor Moon frowned, puzzled, glancing to the one she introduced as Tuxedo Kamen, as though he would explain.

He glanced at Inuyasha, frowning at him as he asked: "Do you know why it was after you?"

"Feh! For the same fucking reason you all were trying to get to Kag-"

He was silenced when Kagome set a hand on his arm, gesturing for him to be quiet. When he started to protest, his voice faded away as she reached around her neck and drew out the pendant of the Shikon no Tama. In the sunset dimness, the broken crescent of the jewel glittered in various shades of pink and blue, setting Kagome's face into a contrast of light and shadow. "It was probably after this."

That was enough for Inuyasha to get his voice back. "Kagome!"

Hesitantly, Sailor Moon stepped forward, hands up, open, gesturing nervously for peace when Inuyasha turned to snarl at her. Carefully keeping her distance, she peered at the gem around the other girl's neck. Its light reflected in her eyes. "What is that?"

"You really don't know, do you?"

The response was a shaking of heads, and eventually Tuxedo Kamen prompted; "We can't know what it is unless you tell us...is this why you thought Pluto and the others were attacking you?"

Kagome looked from one face to the next, and saw the same expressions of curiosity and wariness. Though there was little evidence of open hostility. They were just as afraid of she and Inuyasha as they were of them. "You weren't after the Shikon no Tama at all, were you?"

"Shikon no Tama?" Pluto managed, incredulous. "Impossible."

"Why's it impossible?" Inuyasha responded, watching the eldest of the ones there with the most suspicion. She was the first to appear, and he got the feeling that she was the one who would be most likely to want to attack him. Though at the moment, she was frowning, stepping forward to stand beside Sailor Moon, and take a better look at the jewel Kagome was holding.

"Shikon no Tama no longer exists. It has not for centuries."

"It's back again," Kagome said, puzzled at the other woman's knowledge of it. Jii-chan sometimes rambled of keychains called 'Shikon no Tama,' but nothing serious like this. "It was inside me...." As they assimilated this, she decided to double check, "You weren't after Inuyasha at all then?"

That snapped Sailor Pluto out of her reverie, and she fixed a garnet eyed gaze on the hanyou. "My objective is to return him to his proper time, then seal the-"

"Like hell!"

"No! You can't!"

"You came from a distortion in the timestream," Pluto interrupted their storm of protests. "He does not belong here, and neither does Shikon no Tama."

"What the hell do you know? Is it your job to tell us what to do?"

Sailor Pluto lifted an eyebrow, a bit amused. "You claimed you could smell the age on this babaa, earlier today. Why is it that you think I'm so old?"

Frowning, Inuyasha wanted to growl at her before she continued. Her distant, aloof attitude was grating on his nerves.

"I am protected by Pluto, the Time Space Star. As Sailor Pluto, I am the Guardian of the Gates of Time. A distortion in the timestream is my business to correct," then, more sharply, she added the word, "youkai."

Inuyasha was curling up, placing himself before Kagome and readying himself to fight. Distant attitude or not, she way she said it was an insult. From around him, he was able to hear shifting in the shadows, evidence of the others moving forward, ready to help their friends were he to attack. A hand slowly crept towards Tetsusaiga. He tried to count how many scents there were, but they blended and meshed too well, hampered by an approaching humidity in the air. "Bitch...."

A bow of fire appeared in Sailor Mars' hands as Pluto lifted her Timestaff, in preparation for his charge. Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon were already moving, placing themselves between the newcomers and the other senshi, as Mercury wedged herself forward, hurriedly calling for everyone to wait.

"He's not full youkai! Mars, Pluto, please wait!"

There was a choked sound from Inuyasha, and both he and Kagome stared at the petite blue haired senshi, who was looking worriedly between the two factions. "He's not...well...sorry...I...." she stumbled as she met Inuyasha's glowering face. "I was able to take some readings on your youki, before the fight...and...its signature is youkai, but not fully...it...well, it has human traceries in it...an aura of...human..." she managed as her voice faded into nervousness. "You're...a hanyou?"

He backed away a step, hand stopping from touching the katana at his side. This one had warned him before. She was clearly on the side of the others, but apparently his being a hanyou carried some kind of weight, at the moment at least. Before he could say anything, Sailor Moon was asking questions again.

"Mercury? What do you mean, 'hanyou'?"

"Half-youkai...his genetic makeup includes human DNA, from one of his parents."

Inuyasha blinked, not understanding half of what the girl just said. Gin-et-ick? Dee-En-Ay? What the hell?

Kagome, however, seemed to completely understand what the blue clad senshi was babbling about. "Inuyasha's mother was human...please, we won't fight you unless you attack first...we don't want to fight." Her voice dropped a bit, pleading, though still intense as she watched Sailor Moon. "Please?"

The winged senshi straightened up a bit, believing what Kagome said. "We're not here to make enemies, Higurashi-san. We just want to protect people from possible threats." She emphasized the word 'possible' carefully, backing away as she said it. "Pluto is doing her duty, as Guardian of the Timegate. Maybe you should explain what's happened to you, and this Shikon no Tama thing..."

"Feh. How can we trust you when you've got backup hiding away in the trees?" Inuyasha snapped, focused on Sailor Moon. She looked a little uncertain for a moment, then backed away, looking at Tuxedo Kamen again. He shrugged, and she lifted her head, making a motion at the shadows, summoning the others from the background.

Slowly, four more female figures emerged, dressed the same way as the other girls. Short skirts, boots, long ribbons in the back. Each dressed in various colors, orange and green and shades of purple. From the half open door of the fire shrine, a small girl appeared, younger than the others and clothed in pink. Quickly looking over the emerging group, Inuyasha tried to judge which was most dangerous of them, or likely to attack. Two of the others carried weapons like Sailor Pluto, though theirs were polearms, wicked looking bladed weapons rather than the blunted orb and staff Pluto bore. Something radiated around those two, particularly the smaller one. It was from her that came the smell of earth. She returned his gaze with deathly calmness.

"You say you fought youkai," the girl said after a moment, hand resting gently on her large glaive. Dark violet eyes met his after a moment, and it was with a calm voice she asked, "Mercury claims that it is daimon. Which is true, hanyou Inuyasha?"

"Youkai. That thing was a youkai, I could-"

"No..." Mercury tried to interrupt. "I'm not wrong, I'm sure of it...it was a daimon."

"Either way, it's a bad situation," one of the newcomers said casually, folding her arms and frowning. "Mercury, you sure?"

She nodded, holding out her hands. The small computer appeared in a small flashing of blue light, and Kagome and Inuyasha's eyes widened at the appearance of the thing, though everyone else seemed completely used to this. She was tapping rapidly for a moment, and then turned the machine around, so that the screen faced the observers. Inuyasha stared, not sure what to make of it all, though Kagome leaned forward with everyone else, appearing to understand the uneven columns that lined the screen. "I overlaid a pattern from one of the old daimon we fought, one from Mimi Hanyu's concert-"

"I was there."

Several heads swiveled to Kagome, who looked at Sailor Mars. The senshi of fire looked uncertain for a moment, then her mouth fell open. "The hospital! I was checking, since I thought I saw someone's head watching us over the seats...I thought I'd make sure...you remembered us?"

"...so that thing...that was called 'daimon'? Mimi Hanyu was a daimon?"

"No," a soft voice said from the sidelines, and Inuyasha and Kagome turned to see the older girl, the other one carrying a weapon, a naginata. Her eyes widened, and she looked down quickly, not meeting their gaze. Inuyasha watched her, a sense of familiarity tingling somewhere in the back of his mind. But he was distracted by the younger girl's speaking again.

"Mimi Hanyu was a Witch called Mimete. She was a Death Buster, of the Tau Ceti System. Daimon were used by Mimete and the other Witches to fight against the senshi."

Inuyasha was rapidly getting a headache. "Taw-Set-ay Sist-em? What the hell? Is that another country?"

"That's one way of putting it," the little girl said, moving to stand a bit closer to Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon. Inuyasha was able to pick up a bit of her scent, and judging by her appearance, she was undoubtedly related to the older Sailor Moon. She smelled of her and the man. Though they looked too young to be parents...the whole thing was making his head spin. "They invaded by..." she became quiet, and wrapped a hand into the cape of Tuxedo Kamen.

The remaining girl then spoke, a blonde with her hair in a bow. "The Death Busters were invaders from a dimension called Tau Ceti. It's a long story. But they basically used daimon for their dirty work. The daimon were the result of a failed merger with a human, making a person into a Vessel for somebody from their world."

Kagome watched several sets of eyes flicker to one of the two younger girls, the girl with pink hair, styled similar to Sailor Moon, or to the other girl, holding the large glaive. She wondered what had happened.

The screen gave a beeping sound, and Mercury turned it around, tapping again on the keyboard with a hand. "The display I was showing you showed the synch ratio between one of the daimon and the hydra creature."

"Hydra?"

"Hydra, a mythological creature similar to a snake, though with multiple heads. As one of his twelve labors, Hercules had to defeat the Hydra. However, every time he would cut off a head, a new one would replace it. So he seared them off before they formed. The last head was immortal, so instead he-"

"Mercury!" the blonde interrupted, leaping in, stopping the lecture auto pilot before everyone was confused. "We get it. Hydra. Big snake. Lots of heads. We're not in school. Breathe."

"What?" she blinked. "Oh, sorry, Venus." There was another beeping sound, and she was engrossed in her statistics again. "Oh my...."

"Now what?" Mars asked, peering over Mercury's shoulder. "Oh...crap."

"What?" Kagome asked, moving with everyone else to huddle around the computer screen. She stopped after a moment, seeing that Inuyasha wasn't moving, but staring at her in disbelief, seeming to trust the people who had been trying to kill him just a couple hours earlier.

"This is another reading on the hydra...I recalibrated the data for detecting a synthesis between youki and daimon energy...and...well...."

"And well what?" the pink haired one asked, standing on tiptoe to see around Sailor Moon's wings. "They're all lined...oh....crap."

"They match. Identically." Mercury looked up at Inuyasha and Kagome. "It seems we were both right, Inuyasha...that youkai is a Vessel for a daimon."

"And that's bad?" he asked, a little bored with it all. "Does it make a difference? Just so long as it's dead, and you're not trying to get the Shikon no Tama, what's the problem?"

Tuxedo Kamen backed away though the crowd of girls, turning to face Inuyasha. "You seem to be under the impression there was only one. That's possible, but unlikely."

"But from where?" came a half wail, in the voice of Sailor Moon. "The Death Busters, Pharaoh 90...they're dead! They've been dead for months! Saturn obliterated them! How can they be back?"

"I don't know."

"So there's more of these things?" Inuyasha queried, cracking his knuckles. This was a big enough mess already. "Do they have a nest, or what? Can we just go and..." he trailed off, seeing the expressions on the senshi's faces.

"The Death Busters and their daimon can't just be weeded out," Tuxedo Kamen explained, disliking this more and more. He focused on Kagome, after a moment. "Your Shikon no Tama...what does it do?"

Kagome went white. "It can give power to a youkai."

"A lot of power," Inuyasha added after a moment. Frowns ringed the circle of senshi, looking serious as they considered a youkai daimon given energy by something that could increase its powers. "I don't care where the hell these things are coming from. They're not getting to the tama. I'm staying with Kagome until-"

"You do not belong in this era-" Pluto began, frowning, as Inuyasha began to argue with her.

"Pardon me, everyone..." a soft voice began, edging into the oncoming shouting match, as various senshi began to back up Pluto, others question Kagome for more information. The chatter began to get loud, and the small senshi in purple looked up to the one in lavender, who had a serious expression.

"This will not stop until we trust each other, ne?" she asked the older one.

The result was a sigh. Then, gently, she touched the pin on her grey bow, releasing small ribbons of misty clouds. They rippled over her body, and the silent act abruptly cut off the noise of the argument. Clothing replaced the sailor fuku, a lavender sundress with pale yellow flowers. Lavender eyes blinked across at them, and long black hair fell in heavy waves down her back, the sides bound by a series of loops behind her head.

Inuyasha and Kagome watched this, though not fully for the same reason the others did. The figure now before them they had seen before, in an old Heian mansion, a ghost child with small shards of the Shikon no Tama in her palms. "Ukifune...."

There were several confused voices asking, "Huh?" "What?" "Who?" "Ukifune?"

A small smile formed, a little nervously. "So sorry...I didn't mean to deceive you...but...I wanted you to trust each other on your own...not only for my sake. But...Usagi-sama, Setsuna-san. Kagome and Inuyasha have been seeking the shards of the tama for some time...please, do not prevent them...I'm so very sorry...."

"You really are Ukifune, aren't you?" Inuyasha asked, a bit dumbfounded. "Not some reincarnation or anything. I thought...but I couldn't smell right...."

"I stayed downwind...and with Hotaru-chan close," she placed a hand on the girl in front of her, "so that you would not distinguish my aura from hers. We are both of Saturn...so they should be alike...."

"You're a Sailor Senshi, Ukifune?" Kagome managed. She had only glimpsed Ukifune before, her appearance now different, though distinctly the same.

"Actually...it's Kami now...Tomoe Kami," she corrected, smiling a little nervously. "And I was not a senshi when you met me."

"Ara, Kami-san, you really got around when you were dead, didn't you?" Venus asked, lifting her eyebrows wryly.

"Eh..." Kami blushed. "I was Ukifune then...but now I am Tomoe Kami."

"And my elder sister," the younger girl in purple added, also touching the pin of her bow. Violet light emanated from her for a moment, and the glaive in her hand dissolved away as her new school uniform appeared.

"Sort of," Kami explained cryptically. "It's a long story."

"So you're from the Heian era?" Sailor Moon asked Inuyasha, watching two of the members of her senshi worriedly. Kami trusted them, that much was obvious, and if Kami, Hotaru. She certainly wanted to as well. They didn't want to fight...and they helped Pluto, Mercury and Mars. The problem was the time thing....

"No...I've been traveling to the sengoku jidai. Through a well in my jinja...it's been there for centuries!" Kagome said, determining that this was the only problem. If these youkai were also daimon...she remembered the damage Mimi Hanyu and her daimon did. And though she was sure of Inuyasha's abilities, they simply may be outclassed and outnumbered this time. "We've been fighting youkai for awhile now. We know how they work. There aren't many here. We can help you with that," she told them, looking from face to face. "Ask Ukifune then. She knows what we do. If these youkai are looking for the Shikon no Tama, then they'll come after me. How else will you find them? Wait for them to just randomly attack people?"

"Kagome!"

"We can work together," she continued, shooting a sharp glance at Inuyasha in warning. "We haven't caused any time paradoxes that I know of. Pluto, you said you're in charge of time, right? Why didn't you come to fix the problem right away if my traveling to the past was such a big deal?"

Several sets of eyes swung to Sailor Pluto, who was holding onto the Timestaff with a defeated air. "Time travel is a taboo. It is forbidden. Warpings may occur, and are usually detected immediately. However, this one is very, very small."

"And the reason for that is...?" Kagome prompted, getting the feeling that she was forcing Pluto into admitting something.

"Time travel is strictly taboo," the woman repeated, frowning. "Though no paradoxes have occurred. Which is beyond strange. The most logical reasoning is that your travel to the past was foreordained, and the timestream is stable because you are merely fulfilling what has already occurred."

Well, that was more than she hoped for. Kagome sighed in relief. "Then let Inuyasha stay. He's been here before...there would already have been alterations, right?"

Pluto reluctantly nodded, though warning again. "Time travel is dangerous."

"You're paranoid, babaa," Inuyasha snorted.

She watched him evenly, not glaring, but with an air of amusement. For some reason, being called an old hag when she looked about twenty struck her as funny. Too many centuries at the Timegate.

"I agree," Sailor Moon said after a moment. Then her eyes went wide when everyone stared. "Oh! Not about you being a hag, Pluto! I mean...uh, sorry! I didn't say...."

"Sailor Moon!" Mars snapped, exasperated as their fearless leader stuttered for an apology.

"What?" she shouted back at Mars. "You don't need to yell at me!"

"Then spit it out!"

Sailor Moon shot Mars a dirty look, then turned back to Inuyasha and Kagome, who were a little confused by the argument. Sailor Moon regained her composure, and smiled. She took a breath, then closed her eyes. The wings faded away, a wash of pink light returning her to her everyday clothes. She opened her eyes, and held out a hand. "If we're going to be working side by side...you're welcome in this time then, Inuyasha."

"Feh."

"My name is Tsukino Usagi," she introduced herself. One by one, the others began to detransform, the blazing colors of their auras fading away from his senses as they did so, still present, though dampened.

"Chiba Mamoru," Tuxedo Kamen told them, revealing himself to be a young man in casual wear.

"Aino Minako, Sailor Venus," the blonde said, winking and flashing a victory sign.

"Kino Makoto, Sailor Jupiter," the tall brunette told them with a shrug. "Welcome to the team, if only temporarily."

"Tomoe Hotaru, Sailor Saturn," the young girl told them, bowing slightly.

Kami blushed, a hand trying to cover her mouth in embarrassment. "I'm Sailor Dreamweaver."

"You know us already," Rei said, gesturing to herself and to Ami, who was putting away her computer. She glanced up and smiled.

"Meioh Setsuna," said Sailor Pluto, her Timestaff dissolving as she sighed, accepting defeat.

"Chiba...or...well, Tsukino...Chibiusa," the last of them said, with pink hair. "Sailor Chibimoon."

"You're their kid, aren't you?" Inuyasha stated, looking between Mamoru and Usagi. Both of them started, a little embarrassed.

"You can tell that?" Chibiusa asked.

"You smell sort of like both them. And other than being pink as all hell, you look exactly like her." He gestured at Usagi.

Chibiusa looked impressed.

"Aren't you a bit young to have a daughter that old?" Kagome questioned, coming to look at Chibiusa. "You're at least eight...and you can't be more than sixteen...."

"Eh..heh...." Usagi scratched her head nervously.

"Time travel?" Kagome asked.

"I'm from the Thirtieth Century."

Kagome blinked. "Wow...."

Inuyasha angled himself out of the crowd of females, all surrounding Kagome now and asking how she traveled though time, how she met Inuyasha, why was the Shikon no Tama all busted up, and various other questions.

He must have looked irritated, because Mamoru spoke up. "Get used to it. They're always like this."

"How do you live with it?"

Mamoru shrugged. "You learn to cope."

"Feh."

Out of the huddle of girls, Inuyasha heard Kagome suddenly yelp, "Oh! I've got a history exam tomorrow!" He groaned. Back to the school thing again...though to his surprise, Ami spoke up.

"You're in your last year of Junior High, ne? I've still got my notes from last year...if you want some help, I'd be more than...."

There was a chorus of groans.

"You still have your notes from last year?"

"I burned mine...."

"That class was evil...."

"Why? Studying is fun...."

More groans.

"What?"

Again, groans.

"School is important, in this era," Kami said, sidling her way over to Inuyasha, who was looking astounded.

"They all have to go to this school place?"

Mamoru nodded. "We all do, other than Kami and Setsuna. Setsuna has graduated, and Kami...."

"I'm a little too old for High School, I think...though I can't go to where Mamoru-sama is because you have to pass tests, and I just got here, so...."

"You take tests too?"

Inuyasha was getting very confused, and a little overwhelmed. Past experience with Kagome's era was limited, and he usually wasn't there long enough to learn much about Kagome's every day life. School looked like a big brick box. People went in, people came out later. Absolutely fascinating to watch. If you like watching big brick buildings, anyway.

After a moment, Kagome broke her way out of the circle of curious senshi, heading to Inuyasha. "We'd better get back soon...with the fight out on the street, Mama's going to be worried...."

"Feh. I wouldn't let you get hurt," he mumbled irritably, which earned an "Aww" from one of the senshi.

Minako was looking starry-eyed. "That's so sweet. So you two are dating?"

Both Inuyasha and Kagome looked caught, beginning to stutter, and neither successfully managing to explain anything. Minako was nodding as though in complete sympathy and understanding. "Ah. I see. _That _stage of the relationship. Well, it can't be helped. Everybody goes through it, even Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san would act all nervous sometimes about each other, when they first started dating, and-"

"Minako-chan?" Kami interrupted her, smiling worriedly, "I don't think this is a good time...."

"Oh, of course not..." she laughed, waving her hand. Then, thoughtfully, she added, "Well, if you're staying for awhile then, maybe you can stay at Mamoru-san's apartment...."

Inuyasha blinked, and Kagome went pink. "Feh. Why would I need to stay with him?" he jerked a thumb at Mamoru, who was guessing where this was about to go, judging by Kagome's expression. "I stayed with Kagome last night."

Kagome winced, and all eyes were on her now bright red face.

"Your Mother _allowed_ that?" Makoto managed in disbelief.

"Mom would kill me if Mamo-chan stayed at our place..." Usagi commented, eyes wide. "Did your Mom even know? Mine would kill me!"

"Wow...." Minako managed, looking impressed. "So much for that stage of the relationship...."

"What the hell are you all going on about? I slept on the fucking roof! You all sound like that perverted bouzu!" Inuyasha had finally gotten the drift of the conversation, and determined what they were thinking about where he slept.

"Well, you could always stay here," Rei offered after a moment, trying to stop the self proclaimed goddess of love and beauty from further making a mess of things.

"Feh. If there's these daimon things and youkai going after Kagome again, I'm staying with her."

"You won't be able to sleep on the roof tonight," Makoto told him, glancing westward. Clouds were swirling in the distance, dark in the new night sky, blanking out the faraway stars. "There's a thunderstorm on the way. Unless you don't mind getting pretty wet."

"How do you know that?" he asked, a little surprised that a human could smell the storm brewing.

Makoto grinned. "Sailor Jupiter. Senshi of Lightning. Got a sixth sense for it."

Inuyasha shrugged, accepting that. These senshi people were weird, even for humans.

"I'll talk to Mama," Kagome told him. "After all this, she'll let you in, I'm sure."

"You have a family to worry about too," Usagi murmured. "Maybe one of us should go tell your family what's going on...does she know about your time traveling?"

Kagome sighed, placing a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "Yeah...Jii-chan is always coming up with some warped excuse for me to stay home from school."

"Well...I could go..." Usagi began to offer, uncertainly, but was stopped by Rei.

"I can do it. Better though to go as Mars." She folded her arms, glancing at Inuyasha and Kagome. "We'll trust you, Kagome-san, but your family..." she shook her head. "I'll go along, help explain what's going on, with the daimon. It's really not a good idea for you to be alone, if you're a target though...."

"Are you suggesting I can't take care of her?" Inuyasha snapped irritably at the girl.

Rei sniffed. "Don't be so touchy. I'm just saying I don't know your powers or anything, and it's endangering her family, too, if they're after your jewel thing. If it's so dangerous, why don't you just destroy it?"

"It's not that easy," Kagome sighed, glancing again at the necklace. "It's more than just a jewel granting power to youkai...." she trailed, and there were glances exchanged among the senshi, then several sets of eyes flicked to Inuyasha, noting the less than human appearance. Something flowed in the undercurrent of Kagome's words, though each senshi remained silent a moment, not pressing. There was more going on here than it seemed.

"I'll tag along, Rei-chan," Makoto said after a moment. "Just to keep an eye on things. We'd better get moving. The storm's coming in, and we'll get caught out there."

The detransformed senshi of Mars sighed. "Sound okay, Kagome-san?"

"Just Kagome," she told them. Several polite nods agreed on that, and Usagi told her,

"Then just Usagi, for me...for all of us."

And several minutes later, Sailors Mars and Jupiter accompanied Kagome and Inuyasha back home.

* * *

Terms of note:

eechi- a form of 'hentai,' also meaning pervert/perversion

bozou- an insulting term for a monk

Konbanwa- Good evening

naginata- a Japanese polearm or halberd, similiar to a spear but with a long blade at the end, similar to a sword

Wai! Everyone's working together now! The story has truly begun....

Poor Inuyasha, he was so lost with the information about DNA and genetics...I'm not exactly great with it myself, so arigatou to Mina Maxwell for checking any vague references to biology that have snuck their way into this fic.

And you got to see how Kami/Ukifune interacted with everyone. Her story is a little long and winding, since I've been piecing her together for awhile. When she started, she wasn't a senshi _at all_- but I liked her character, and she kept haunting my head, (in a sailor fuku...x.x) so eventually I caved and wrote another story with her, this time becoming a senshi. To make a very long story short, she was born in the Heian era (11th century) and remained as a ghost until the sengoku jidai, trapped at her home and wanting to escape. Two shikon no kakera landed there, and of course the Inuyasha-tachi came looking. Due to her soul being upset by the corrupt shards, her personality kind of 'split'- (woohoo, multiple personalities!) and she would alternately attack and help the group as they looked. Kagome and Inuyasha had fairly good experiences with her, though Sango and Miroku were both hurt. Shippou actually became a friend- when she first appeared as a ghost, she appeared as an eight year old, wanting to play kemari (kickball). She's twenty now, the age she was when she died. (So she's the second oldest there, after Setsuna. Well, third if you count Mamoru too.) Shippou was pretty much the only one out of the group who didn't want to exorcise her.

Anyway, afterwards, she went to the underworld, occasionally watching the living from there- she met Ami, Sailor Mercury, first. That was the first story involving her, ('_The Bloom of the Mountain Cherry_') and she was a ghost then, too, popping into dreams. You'll get a bit more explanation in the next chapter..

So, til then.

Ja ne!

~Queen

Coming up next in Chapter 5: Tales-

Quietly, she closed her eyes, turning to face the backyard. The rain made the air cold, despite the flow of electricity there. She could feel it lifting her hair, eerily haunting the space. "Gomen nasai, Inuyasha-kun."

"Sorry for what? You weren't there, you can't do anything about it. I just want to kick the ass of whoever is sending these daimon youkai things and get back to finding the shikon no kakera. The longer we wait, the more likely he is to get more."

Hi minna-sama! Well, before getting started on this chapter, a couple quick things. I got a couple reviews last chapter with some questions, so I thought I'd answer them before this went much farther.

First off, a little time explanation in chapter 3. Our villian had scars for 200 years...yet she returned before that, once she felt strong enough- more like 2 or 3 _months_, not years. Scars take time to heal. That's why that flashback scene takes place one week before he gets pinned by Kikyou. When she gets back...he's there, and there's not much she can do about it.

Second, pertaining to this chapter- yes, this does fit in with my other _Inuyasha _fanfic, '_Kami Monogatari._' Remember, I've got an original character, and she's in here! I have too much fun with her to not include her anymore. ^_^; Remember, she's not the main character or anything, so you'll follow things fine. She was a ghost named Ukifune in the sengoku jidai, and is reborn in the present as a woman named Kami. So, read on and see how she interacts with the characters from both series.

All that said, on with the show!


	6. Tales

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_There are thousands of stories_

_which have come and gone._

_The old, distant memories_

_are engraved in my heart._

_I close my eyes and remember them...._

_-Everlasting Story, Fushigi Yugi_

Chapter 5- Tales

The sky revealed an angry face, swirling with the darkness of a stormcloud. It circled in on itself, churning and blotting out the stars beyond as booming signaled distant thunder, drawing nearer, flashing though the heaven. They slipped in the back way, four figures moving ahead of the sheets of rain. Kagome rode on Inuyasha's back, and occasionally turned her head to watch the two Sailor Senshi just behind them. They leapt swiftly from roof to roof, tailing Inuyasha as they returned to the Higurashi Jinja. The carnage from that afternoon still lay quartered off from prying eyes, but the back way was clear of officials. The rain was frightening people away, under threat of drenching.

Kagome held open the back door to her house as Jupiter and Inuyasha settled in to wait on the porch, slipping under the overhang where it was dry, just as the rain caught up to them. Sailor Mars and Kagome moved into the house, leaving them standing there in the damp coolness of the outdoors.

The downpour rustled the leaves of the shinboku trees, whipping their branches into a flurry of blows, clattering against each other and the roofs of the jinja's smaller buildings. Small patches of light fell to either side of the two on the porch, light from inside of the house. If he listened carefully, Inuyasha could hear the startled murmurs of Kagome's family as they met their first Sailor Senshi, and Kagome began to explain the situation that was developing. He sat not far from Sailor Jupiter, who was standing and leaning against the railing, ankles crossed casually and arms folded as she waited. She was one of the tallest of the senshi he had seen, in a green outfit with pink ribbons, and long, wavy brown hair in a tight, practical ponytail. He resisted snorting. They all looked so ridiculous, short skirts and fluffy ribbons and bows and heeled boots. Though how they managed to keep up with him he still couldn't quite figure out.

After a moment, the pressure of watchfulness on him made him look up sharply. Sailor Jupiter's eyes were wide, and she blinked, looking embarassed.

"What?"

"N...nothing. Sorry." She looked back to the window, a nervous expression still on her face at being caught.

"You were staring at me. What, never seen a hanyou before?" He knew he was deliberately antagonizing, but having her stare at him was unnerving. Bitch. Just because he was a hanyou, she was going to look at him like some pathetic thing? Half-half. Not one or the other.

"No, actually, I haven't," she replied honestly, looking back at him and tilting her head to the side, so that her ponytail trailed down behind her. "Nothing personal, Inuyasha-kun."

Yeah, right. "Feh. Then what do you want, then?"

"Well..." she sighed a little, easing herself closer to the beam that supported the porch's overhang. For a moment, she glanced out over the backyard, watching little reflective pools forming out of the rainwater. Now they were being pounded from above, water splashing messily over the stones. "I was just wondering...how long have you and Kagome been fighting? Or looking for the Shikon no Tama thing?"

He shifted where he sat, watching the rain sleet down an armlength away from his face. If he reached out, water dripping from the stormdrains would run over his fingers. Not really sure what she was getting at, he allowed, "Few months now. Why?"

"Curious, that's all. I mean, it looked pretty busted up. What happened?"

Her voice sounded genuinely curious, and it made him turn his head to look at her. She was leaning a shoulder against the roofbeam, blinking patiently as she waited for him to continue. She had wide, dark green eyes, currently curious and inquiring. Inuyasha wasn't sure what to make of it. "Feh, you're just planning on going and running back to your friends to tell them everything."

Her reaction was to laugh a little, then wave a hand as though to deflect the accusation. "Not unless you don't want me to. I won't tell anyone, if you want. Didn't think it was a big secret though." Inuyasha stared at her for a moment. Despite laughing, she seemed perfectly serious. Jupiter seemed to pick up on his hesitation, and she shrugged. "I'm serious. It's the truth. Hey, if you don't want to tell me, don't. And if you don't want me to tell them, I won't."

Inuyasha frowned, debating. Stubbornness was warring with a tentative trust. Instinct said not to trust anybody, especially somebody who he just met, and part of a group who recently tried to kill him or seal him into the past. But Kagome was trusting them, insofar as letting one into her home to help explain things to her mother and family. And he did trust Kagome's judgment, even if she could be an idiot sometimes. "It's understandable you'd want to know...."

"Then...what happened to it? I didn't think a magical jewel could get broken up like that. Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal is one of the hardest substances in the galaxy...well, according to Mercury, anyway."

So the Moon girl had a jewel of her own? Interesting, and strange. Well, maybe if he told her something of their situation, he could pry some information about theirs out of her. "Kagome broke it on accident."

The green eyes went enormously wide, and her brows shot up. "How the hell did _that_ happen?"

Inuyasha blinked, sparing a glance for the tall senshi of Lightning. He didn't usually hear girls randomly swearing. Somehow, it was amusing, and seemed a gesture of familiarity. "It's a long story...she got pulled into the Bone Eater's Well over there..." he gestured at the mini shrine housing the empty well. "By a youkai that sensed the closeness of the tama." His expression soured, remembering the situation in which he had met Kagome. "She freed me from a spell to that tree there." He jerked his chin at the Goshinboku, its leaves rapidly waving in the wind. "I kicked the thing's ass. Awhile later, a crow youkai tried to get ahold of it, since it gives youkai power. So we went after it. Kagome couldn't shoot worth a shit then, but it had already swallowed the Shikon no Tama. I'd sliced it up already, so she tied its foot to her arrow."

"So it hit it because it was trying to regenerate?"

"Yeah. But the arrowhead hit the tama, and with Kagome's miko powers behind it, it sent the tama flying all over the place, in little fragments and shards."

"Fragments and shards? Shikon no kakera?"

He nodded, and she sighed. "We've been collecting them ever since. Little bits here and there."

"Well, that's probably tedious. There must be a lot of youkai after those things if they're powerful, though."

"Hell yeah. That bastard Naraku," Inuyasha cracked his knuckles out of habit, seething over the memory of the baboon-pelted asshole who just about everybody and their mother wanted to kill.

"He pinned you to the tree Kagome freed you from?" Jupiter asked curiously, wondering at the loop he had left in the story. Kagome freed him, but who put him there? Inuyasha's expression was one of deep fury, tightly contained. She felt a little worried over that. Something very, very bad had happened, apparently....

"He tricked a miko named Kikyou into it, with an arrow. Fifty years later, Kagome pulled it out."

That was a blunt explanation, Jupiter decided, but she doubted she'd get more out of him on that. "Well, at least you're out...it must be hard for you two, fighting...Naraku...alone, then."

Her answer was a snort. "We're not alone, not anymore. We got the punk kid, the pervert, and Sango along with us now."

The 'punk kid', the 'pervert' and 'Sango'? Okay, that really let her know about his feelings towards the various members of the group. "Punk kid, pervert and Sango?"

"Feh. Yeah. Shippou's a just a kid, a kitsune. Bugs the hell out of me. He's the only one Naraku actually didn't try to kill before. Kagome lets him tag along because his parents were killed by the Thunder Brothers, Hiten and Manten. Then there's Miroku, a Buddist houshi. Due to his family being full of lechers, he's got a hole in his right hand, the kazaana. Pulls some prayer beads off, sucks a lot of shit up. Naraku cursed his grandfather, and the curse is inherited. Then there's Sango and Kirara. Sango's a taiji-ya, a youkai exterminator. Her family was killed by Naraku, and her village destroyed. Kirara is her youkai cat."

Jupiter took a moment to digest all that information. Before she could speak, a loud peal of thunder cracked from above, flashing bright light into their faces and leaving an electric charge in the air, prickling their skin. Inside the house, the speaking was now punctuated by the voices of Kagome's family, questioning, and either Kagome or Sailor Mars would reply, their voices muted through the house walls.

"And you haven't defeated him yet?" she asked after a moment.

"Feh," was her answer.

Quietly, she closed her eyes, turning to face the backyard. The rain made the air cold, despite the flow of electricity there. She could feel it lifting her hair, eerily haunting the space. "Sorry, Inuyasha-kun."

"Sorry for what? You weren't there, you can't do anything about it. I just want to kick the ass of whoever is sending these daimon youkai things and get back to finding the shikon no kakera. The longer we wait, the more likely he is to get more."

"I see. I'd like to know where the youkai are coming from...there...well, there really aren't many in this era...I take it they're fairly common in the sengoku jidai."

That confirmed something Inuyasha had begun to suspect earlier in the day. Sitting and watching Kagome's school, he had smelled no youkai wandering around. None. Faint, faint traceries of youki, but so vague he couldn't even tell what kind of creature it was from. No youkai here. Why? Over the centuries between Kagome's era and his, what had changed? Did the tama have anything to do with it?

"Common, yeah. These daimon...the Minako girl said something about them being failed experiments or something. You all kept looking at that Saturn kid, or the pink kid. What happened there?"

Jupiter let out a heavy sigh, worried. It was storytime, apparently. He told her about their quest, she might as well tell him about the Death Busters. They were all on the same side now, so why not? Who knew, maybe it would be helpful someday. "That's because...well. It's hard...awhile ago, a few months back, Chibiusa came back from the future...that's another, even longer story. But the Death Busters...they invaded, setting themselves up in the Delta Triangle, meaning to summon their Master Pharaoh 90 from Tau Ceti. But they're kind of like parasites...they don't have bodies in this dimension, not really, so they need a Vessel to live in, a Host. Hotaru...Sailor Saturn?" when he nodded in recollection, she continued, "Hotaru was in an accident a few years back. That's when they first arrived. She was hurt pretty bad, and her father, Professor Tomoe Soichi...he kept her alive by making a deal with this daimon thing from Tau. Usagi said he called himself Germatoid before she killed him. But he kept Hotaru alive with machine parts, and by making a deal with this Germatoid daimon. His body in exchange for keeping Hotaru alive. So he did, to protect her.

"Eventually, they were ready. Professor Tomoe ran a school called Mugen Academy. The students there were used as experiments for Vessels, and daimon. Most of them failed, which is why we were surprised when Mercury said the youkai was a daimon, and stable. Daimon are failed Vessels. We don't know how strong a youkai with a daimon in it would be, though we'd expect a stable daimon to be strong in a human, judging by Germatoid. A daimon in a youkai, something strong enough already...probably damn powerful."

"Shit," Inuyasha muttered, trying to follow all this. He didn't really know where this Tau Ceti or anything was, but Kagome said that the concert of Mimi Hanyu was at 'Mugen Academy,' and supposed to be for students there. "So this Hotaru girl was a daimon too?"

Jupiter scratched the side of her head, frowning anxiously. "This is going to be bad for her, with daimon returning. Yes, sort of. Germatoid was supposed to be preparing the way for Mistress 9, who would finally summon Pharaoh 90...."

"And Hotaru was supposed to be the Vessel for this Mistress 9 thing?"

She nodded, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "She stole Chibiusa's Silver Imperium Crystal, and used it to summon Pharaoh 90...then Saturn awakened, and destroyed Pharaoh 90, when Sailor Moon used the Holy Grail, jumping straight into Pharaoh 90."

"So this Pharaoh thing was what? A big blob of destruction?"

Jupiter actually laughed. "Yeah, something like that. Pluto sealed what was left away in the halls of time. Hotaru, stuck inside of Pharaoh 90, was reborn as a baby."

"If that was a few months ago, then how is she so old?"

"Eh..." Jupiter shrugged. "We're not really all that sure. We needed her again, not too long ago. Saturn is powerful. So she grew up fast. We don't really know how."

Inuyasha was just about to open his mouth again, this time to ask when exactly Ukifune appeared in this era, considering she was the only one he even remotely 'knew'. However, a rush of warm air flowed around him, signaling the opening of the back door. Kagome was poking her head out, worriedly smiling between Inuyasha and Sailor Jupiter, clearly hoping that everything was okay between them. Seeing they weren't arguing, she smiled at Inuyasha a little, yellow lamplight filtering around her hair. "Mama says you can have the couch, Inuyasha..." she stepped outside as he stood himself up, warily waiting for some catch. The senshi made such a fuss over the whole sleeping thing he didn't know what to make of it all. This last day was generally giving him a headache. Brief stays in Kagome's time didn't really prepare him for a full out battle here.

"Feh. So we can come in?"

From behind Kagome, Sailor Mars appeared, angling her way around the other girl. "And we can go out," she said to Jupiter, who was glancing at the downpour with a look of resignation. Getting soaked to the bone was not exactly fun. "Kagome, we'll probably meet tomorrow evening for a meeting. That'll give us some time after school to do some research and investigating."

Kagome was agreeing as Inuyasha moved alongside her. "Where are you at?"

"Juuban High," Jupiter answered with a shrug. "We usually meet at Hikawa Jinja for strategy meetings."

"If we can get the odango to arrive on time," Mars muttered darkly.

"Odango?" Kagome asked curiously, not knowing who she meant.

"Usagi-chan," Mars motioned, waving a hand at her head and imitating Sailor Moon's buns and pigtails. "Odango atama. Dumpling head. It's the hair."

Inuyasha snickered, remembering that one, and Kagome elbowed him to stop. "We'll be there," Kagome told the other two girls, and they nodded, sighing resolutely as they turned out into the storm, disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

There was sunlight now, dusty fingers of brightness piercing though dancing clouds. Overnight, rain poured down hard, soaking the streets. Reflective puddles of water still pooled in the cracks and dips in the sidewalk, muddy water splashed up from cars passing by. This didn't seem to be too distracting to the people in the school, and for about an hour, Inuyasha watched as Kagome and some of her classmates took to the field beyond the school, apparently playing some sort of sport involving hitting a ball with a stick. That had been the most interesting point to the day thus far, and Inuyasha felt a little strange watching Kagome running around in a pair of such short shorts, surrounded by various other males. He debated long and hard about crashing that game, but last night she had warned him off very severely. 'Do not come to school, Inuyasha,' she said. And her expression was clearly threatening...and not just a string of osuwari-s, either. He knew he'd be in for it if he showed up.

"Bitch," he muttered darkly, watching as a bell sounded and the students swarmed off the field, heading back inside for further studies. All day long. Get up early, go inside, come out for awhile to hit a ball with a stick, and then go back in again. What was she doing in there, anyway? He wanted to get up and pace, though it would do little good. Once again, he took up his position on the roof across the street from the school, sitting on the building's ledge and glowering, feeling generally excluded. This was a part of Kagome's life she was refusing to let him in on. Not just school. He didn't really care about her damn school. It was her not wanting him there that bugged him incessantly. He knew damn well she didn't care that he was a hanyou, not a human. At the moment, though, it seemed like she cared about other people caring.

"Inuyasha-kun?"

He almost leapt up, which would have sucessfully sent him flying off the building. Swiveling around, a hand on Tetsusaiga, he found a Sailor Senshi standing there. Her scent was familiar, chrysanthemums and rain, swirling pleasantly in the damp air. "Oy, Ukifune."

Sailor Dreamweaver smiled, stepping forward and tilting her head to the side. "It is Dreamweaver, in this form. It's not so good, to call us by our real names, when transformed."

"Why's that?" he asked, shifting aside as she came to stand beside him, placing her hands on the ledge and leaning forward.

"People in this era do not like magic. They like to read it or see it, but so long as it is controlled and distant, in books or on the television box. Magic is a scary thing, when you confront it," she told him, then settled herself next to him on the ledge, crossing her ankles and looking out over the school building with a curious look. "People fear what they do not understand. Humans are dangerous in this era, Inuyasha. They can do many frightening things."

"Feh," he snorted, somewhat disbelieving. Humans doing frightening things? Sure. They came up with a lot of fancy shit, that he could see. Smooth black roads, fast moving machines, boxes that came alive with people inside. Lights that glowed without giving off heat or fire. This was a strange world. "How'd you get up here, anyway? Jump? Those other two could almost keep up with me."

Dreamweaver covered her lips with a gloved hand, hiding a shy grin. "No. I..." she looked up, concentrating and thinking. "I...tel..tela...teleported. Pluto says it is moving from one place," she held up her hands, then clapped them together, "to another, without moving though the space between them. It is very strange."

He tried to imagine how she could do that, and wasn't really sure. Youkai could move pretty damn fast when they wanted to, but tela-poring? No, that wasn't right. Teleporting. He nodded his head once, sharply, as though to store the word in his mind. "Where is the babaa, anyway?"

Dreamweaver laughed again, her voice light. "Setsuna-san is at the Observatory today, working. If anything goes wrong, I will call her," she lifted her wrist, revealing a small, delicate watchlike item. "It is her job now, watching the stars. She is very smart, knowing much from her centuries."

Inuyasha stared at her for a moment. It hadn't been so long ago, when they had found her as a ghost in an old Heian mansion. A ghost girl, her soul disrupted by the presence of two shikon no kakera. The shards, impure, seemed to cause ripples though her personality; one moment a little girl wanting to play kemari, the next a desperate young woman who only wanted to run away from a home she could never leave. Now she was sitting here beside him, laughing, looking up at the clouds and shaking her head. So different. Ukifune. Kami. Dreamweaver. What a weird girl.

"You like it here, don't you?"

Her brows lifted, and she looked at him, still smiling. In her eyes, there were still shadows, evidence of something darker in her past, something ghostly and sad. Though she smiled while crying. "Yes. I have a family now."

A family. Strange. The other senshi? They seemed like a tight knit group, for all their being a bunch of silly girls in short skirts and bows. He wondered, idly, if maybe that's how things were with Kagome and the others, now. Family? Them? Feh, him related to Miroku? He let out one sharp bark of laughter at the thought. That would be the day.

Dreamweaver was watching him curiously, wide lavender eyes observing him. White hair, golden eyes. Still the same, from when she last saw him. Not much time had elapsed since they left her old home, then. She still thanked the gods that he had told her to 'kick the ass' of the thing she was struggling with. Somehow, it endeared him to her, acting like an annoyed big brother. A very pottymouthed, annoyed big brother. And so she had fought back, not just protecting what she could, as her strength trickled away to the darker side of her personality.

"Setsuna-san thinks it is very funny, you calling her a babaa. Nobody has ever called her that before. She is very old, Inuyasha, and she works very hard at the Timegate. It is a lonely job, staying in one place, never leaving."

"So she's part of this family of yours now, eh?"

"Mm," Weaver agreed, nodding and folding her hands, swinging her crossed ankles just a bit, hearing the heels tap against the brick of the wall below them. He was leaning a cheek against the grip of Tetsusaiga, running a hand down the sheath for a moment.

"Were you reincarnated, in this time? After I...well, what happened at your old mansion?"

The faint smile faded away as the sun clouded over, dipping them into shadow. "Not quite. It's a long story," she told him as she looked down at the street, seeing the darkness fill the puddles. No cars came to splash them onto the sidewalk, and she bit her lip. He was watching her, waiting patiently, though expectantly, ears pricked up curiously for the tale. "After we fought, at the riverside...I finally was able to rest, to go to the world of the dead. So I remained there. A couple months ago, I began to see visions there, have dreams of people fighting, images of people I did not know. Snatches. I knew nothing of who they were, what they were."

"The senshi?" he guessed, and was rewarded with a faint nod. She folded and refolded her hands, running her fingers over the lavender edge of her skirt.

"Yes. One girl I saw...."

"Your sister?"

She shook her head, a smile forming for a moment before fading again. "No, Kanashimi-chan, actually. She wasn't feeling well, so I tried to-"

"Who's Kanashimi-chan?"

"Oh, so sorry!" Weaver waved her hand, giving a small nervous laugh. "Kanashimi-chan. Sorrow. Ami-chan, Mercury. She looked so sad, all the time. I wanted to help her, so I reached into one of the visions one day...and I found myself speaking to her, the way I spoke to you that once, in your dream of the past."

Inuyasha curled up a little, almost protective in reflex, watching the school as though to see through its walls. He had dreamed one night, and saw Ukifune, playing her _koto_. And then they were in his dreams, in the past, where he was a little boy, unwanted by the humans, for being a hanyou. White hair fell around his face, masking it from Dreamweaver's sight. "I spoke to her in dreams. I felt glad when she felt better. Then a little later, Kanashimi-chan and Hotaru-chan...they came to find me."

That snapped him out of his reverie, and he stared at her incredulously. "In the world of the dead? How the hell did they manage that?"

"Pluto has keys to the past and the future. One key leads to the forbidden world of the dead. They came to find me, because Usagi-sama was feeling ill. It was a Fury, like the one you told me to fight...it had festered in her mind."

"Fury?"

"It is the name of a creature, Kanashimi-chan says, that exists in old stories. It preys upon one's nighmares, chasing down one's sins and transgressions, reminding and haunting, hurting the person's mind. Hotaru-chan struck me with her Silence Glaive. Then I woke up in the world of the living...and I woke alive."

Alive. Dead for a thousand years, and then alive. No evil witches, using gravesoil and black magic. No stealing of souls, no hatred moving her body. Free. She was free. Alive and free. Silence Glaive. What kind of a weapon could bring a person back to life, from a thousand year death in sleep? So he asked her. "Silence Glaive? That's...the thing Saturn has, right?"

"Yes. It is a Talisman, with the power to destroy a planet, if dropped."

Inuyasha considered that for a moment. The world, destroyed, by the dropping of a weapon? That scent of soil and earth that swirled around the little senshi in purple. It seemed incredible, impossible. But he believed it. Those eyes were ones weighted with responsibility. Even he could see that. "A Talisman?"

She nodded, reaching out a hand. Around her palm, a small glitter of light shone, and as the sun broke again through the clouds, light glanced off the long blade of the naginata she conjured from the air. Black shafted, silver bladed deadly elegance. "This is...well," she smiled, considering the shaft and balance of it for a moment, "I'm not sure if this even counts as a Talisman. I suppose so, though it doesn't have a fancy name." She laid it across her thighs, and saw that Inuyasha was watching her expectantly, waiting for more to the story. "There are four Talismans, other than my...sort of Talisman. Pluto carries the Garnet Orb. It is attached to her Timestaff, and with it she controls time and space. Neptune has the Deep Aqua Mirror, which allows her to-"

"Who's Neptune? I didn't hear anyone called Neptune," Inuyasha cut in, wanting to know who she meant.

Weaver blinked, then shook her head. "Oh...Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Uranus. Michiru, and Haruka. They also live with Setsuna, Hotaru and I. It is Michiru's house. Michiru plays a musical instrument, called a violin. It's very pretty, when she plays, like being underwater...she and Haruka went to a place called Vina, in Eropa, so she could play it," Dreamweaver explained, nodding firmly as she tried to recall what she had been shown on a map. "She is a very famous player of the violin. With the Aqua Mirror, she can see the truth behind illusions, and see things far away. Uranus has a Talisman called the Space Sword..." she laughed a little, pointing at Tetsusaiga. "It is not so big, but it also can cut though things far away, with a golden light. You will like Haruka-chan. You two would like to spar someday."

"Feh, practice with a senshi, sure. I'd kick her-" he stopped, when Dreamweaver began to laugh again, trying hard to restrain herself by covering her mouth. Small tears were forming in her eyes from merriment at something he did not understand. "Oy! What's so damn funny?"

"Oh, sorry!" she shook her head, wiping away the laughter tears. "Haruka-chan would get very angry, if you discounted her as a fighting partner, without seeing her fight first. She gets very angry about that."

"Feh. Sure. I'll keep it in mind," he intoned smugly, not really caring how good the girl was. He could kick her ass, Space Sword thing or not. Tetsusaiga would be stronger, he was sure. He grinned slightly, and watched as two birds flew down, circling and landing in the field behind the school. "And the Glaive thing makes four?"

"The Silence Glaive, yes, is four. Saturn is the soldier of Death and Rebirth, though most think of her as only Death. Rebirth gets lost in the telling. It is how she brought me back here. Maybe also how she survived Pharaoh 90."

"Jupiter said some stuff about him yesterday. Big blob of destruction."

Dreamweaver blinked, then said consideringly, "I suppose. He wanted to merge with this planet, to take the Earth as a Vessel for himself. She dropped the Glaive to destroy him."

"Jupiter also said that she had some crazy demon in her."

Weaver bit her lip nervously, a wisp of hair floating forward on the wind before her. She tucked it back, smoothly. "Mistress 9. Poor Hotaru-chan. Daimon returning...this won't be good for her. Too many bad memories. I must be watchful of her. She has faced Mistress 9, and yet...." Dreamweaver shifted nervously. "This stinks of bad magic, Inuyasha. It worries me."

"Well, this Mistress person can't come back, can she?" he frowned suddenly, turning his head to the school and sniffing the wind. It was breezy, and the air had shifted. Something was playing against his senses, making the hairs on the back of his neck prickly in agitation. There was something faintly wrong....

Dreamweaver, though, was responding to his question. "Daimon returning...she lost her Father to the daimon, when he was possessed by the one Usagi-sama calls Germatoid. She stole Chibiusa-chan's Silver Crystal, as Mistress 9, and used its raw power to strengthen herself and call on Pharaoh-"

"Oy, Dreamweaver," Inuyasha said, grabbing her shoulder and stopping the discussion. "You hear that?"

Her eyes flicked forward, and she grew silent, staring at the school.

His ears twitched, then he leapt off the building. There were no screams, but many rapidly drawn breaths, and the clatter of people falling or crying out in surprise. And as the wind shifted again, he caught the scent of a youkai.

"Kagome!"

* * *

Terms of note:

odango- dumpling

atama- head

odango atama- dumpling head ^.^ Everyone's favorite nickname for Usagi.

kanashimi- sorrow. Kami has nicknamed Ami this...this goes back to the first Kami fic I wrote...x.x

koto- a traditional 13 stringed musical instrument

Hm, I know, not much action this chapter- though by the ending of it, there will be plenty next time! ^.~ This was basically to get both sides (Inuyasha-tachi and senshi sides) on the same page...more or less. I'm also assuming that most people have seen the SM anime, not read the manga, so you may not be as familiar with what happened in the manga version- here's a little background so you know what you're dealing with. Inuyasha manga and anime are pretty similiar, so there should be many discrepancies there.

Also, you'll notice Haruka (Uranus) and Michiru (Neptune) are not quite on the scene yet...there's so many characters, (particularly on the SM side...) and I'm trying to give everyone a fair shot in the spotlight. The Inuyasha-tachi get more scenes, because there's fewer of them. ^_^ So expect to see at least one of them in just about every scene, while the senshi trade off. Some aren't even in entire chapters, though I'm trying to keep things even. So, Haruka and Michiru are in Vienna for a little while while I keep things going. ^_^;; But like Sango, Miroku and Shippou- they will be showing up. Just give me time! I would not leave out some of my favorite characters. hugs Shippou...and sends Sango and Miroku to go hug somewhere else

Til next storytime.

~Queen


	7. Raven

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_The Earth does not belong to Man._

_We are merely tolerated._

_For now._

_-Morgan Llywelyn, 'The Elementals.'_

_*_

Chapter 6- Raven

Glitter was not the first thing Inuyasha expected to see, breaking down the doors into the school. If he was wrong for some reason, he would have been in some of the deepest trouble of his life. But he was not wrong; in the foyer of the school, a teacher or counselor lay, sprawled out unconscious. Moving forward and looking down the halls, younger people, students in uniforms and more teachers lay tumbled this way and that, defined by hundreds of points of light glittering above their bodies like tiny jeweled stars.

He swiveled back and forth, staring down the halls and sniffing, the dozens of odors of a school interfering with the one he was searching out. Cleaning spray, dust, solvents, mold, chalk, books, the smell of leather shoes, of sweat, of coolants in the air system, perfume, cologne, the unmistakable smell humans gave off when afraid, when a surge of adrenaline hit their system. They were jumbled together, sweet and sour, good and bad, layered a dozen ways like a cake gone horribly wrong. He was running forward again, following the thin trail of a sweet, familiar scent, twining its way though the air. Down the hallway, around the corner, hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, evidence of Dreamweaver's presence. The little crystals floated by him, carelessly hovering as he ran, searching for Kagome. Faster, he had to go faster...she could be laying somewhere, some youkai about to eat her, to steal her away....

There was a moan from ahead, and he saw one person on her knees, doubled over and clutching her chest in pain, trying to breathe evenly and failing as she collapsed forward, dark hair falling around her as a point of light gathered at her chest, tiny specks of brightness joining together and growing solid even as he ran forward to catch her. It gleamed brightly, the crystal, reflecting and shining enough to light the shadowy corner of the hallway, pulses of energy warping around it in a swirl of colors much brighter than any other visible.

Cradled in his arms, Inuyasha pulled her closer, looking down into her face, eyes closed tightly as though pained, a few wisps of hair laying across her white cheeks. There was a radiance playing in the contours of her complexion, a gentle contrast given from the light of the crystal floating beside them. There was a brightness to that one crystal, far exceeding the others, and Inuyasha was sure he wasn't imagining it. Kagome's was stronger, more brilliant, pulsing, filling the hallway with the shine of her soul. Lightly, he reached out to touch it, drawing it slowly in towards himself, touching it only tentatively. This was a thing he did not want to escape, to leave, and a thing he knew he would have to protect. As he drew it closer, the crystal glimmered, growing warm in his hand.

He felt her stir slightly, and looked quickly down at Kagome, who had a distressed look on her face, her eyes half lidded and her breath sharp. "Inu...ya...sha...." Simply saying his name took effort, and she winced, growing motionless again.

"It is the crystallization of her soul, her Hoste," came a voice from behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Dreamweaver kneeling beside a boy across from Kagome. There was a frown on her face, and she looked up and down the hallway furtively. "They must go back inside their owners, and quickly."

Something in his memory tugged at him, drawing him backward. Though this was no time for thoughts of the past. He shoved it aside, trying to concentrate on what was happening now. Golden eyes looked at the soul he held in his hands, and the pure white light it reflected, gleaming. He felt oddly aware of what he was holding, the soul of Kagome, balanced precariously in his rough hand.

Carefully, he willed this to work as he gently pushed it back down, pressing it back towards Kagome's chest, hoping that it would return to her, bringing her back to him. Any other option was unacceptable. Silvery light reflected brightly against her slack features, a tiny breath of wind pushing aside strands of hair that fell into her face. After a moment's hesitation, the crystal evaporated, dissolving back into her body, and he felt a warmth suffuse her skin again. He hadn't been aware of how cold she was until that warmth returned, and he was glad.

Fingers tightened on his sleeve, and Kagome blinked, looking up at him with wide eyes. She groaned, curling up slightly, and he eased her upward, hoping to help her breathe. Pained coughing sounded behind him, and as he looked to the side, he saw Dreamweaver moving methodically from one person to the next, pushing their crystals back into them. They remained still, though a few jerked spasmodically, drawing in on themselves protectively.

"Kagome? Are you all right?"

Her face was drawn, and she shook her head to clear it, senses returning to normal, far more coherent than the others around them. She pushed herself up the rest of the way, slightly awkwardly, still gripped tightly by Inuyasha. "Okay...Inuyasha...what happened? I feel a little better now...." she breathed, leaning against him.

"Stay still. I'll find the person who did this and kill-"

"Inuyasha!" Dreamweaver called sharply, and he swiveled back and forth as the small crystals still floating around them began to move, heading steadily towards the end of the hallway. Weaver abandoned her duty of returning the crystals to the other students, and was now on her feet, naginata balanced carefully in her hands. "Something comes."

Still gripping Kagome, he turned to follow the other girl's gaze, as the one in his arms attempted to twist herself around, hoping to see what was going on. At the hallway's end, a shadowed figure stood, silhouetted in the dusty shafts of light from the glass doors behind her. After a moment, she turned to look at them, and as more crystals gathered around her, she held her hands up as though to welcome them, caressing them lightly as they circled her. A wand appeared in her hand, a thin white gold staff, the tip twisted into the figure of infinity, a single black star twined within the curves.

Something black flapped its way past Dreamweaver, Inuyasha and Kagome, crossing the halls and sailing forward on dark wings. It angled itself though the nebula of souls, and alighted on the woman's bare shoulder. Reflecting the glimmering lights around her, she stepped forward, becoming more distinguishable. A simple sheath of black as a dress, thin straps curving around behind her neck. Straight hair fell around her face, curving slightly inward around her pale cheeks.

Ebony eyes.

"An untried Sailor Senshi and a hanyou. Is that all? I would have expected more," she said, voice low and somewhat cajoling, teasing. She was posturing for them, smiling in a small way within the cloud of crystals around her, playing with them. "What, not going to fling some magic words at me, Dreamweaver?"

The senshi of dreams said nothing in reply, her brows drawing down dangerously as she lifted her weapon higher. No words to speak of. Too new to this game, nothing to fight with, not here, not with people around. Too dangerous, to use the only attack she knew. Forbidden words. Words she did not wish to speak again. Not in a hallway full of floating souls. Not with an attack that destroyed the spirit. Her gloved hands tightened on the black shaft of the naginata, suddenly afraid.

"Bitch!" Inuyasha snarled, releasing a hand on Kagome to grab for Tetsusaiga's hilt. This was the bitch who tried to attack her? This was the bitch who tried to kill everybody in this building? This damn school place? He would Kaze no Kizu her into oblivion.

"Inuyasha! No!" An arm wrapped around his, preventing him from drawing the sword. Kagome was clinging on, pulling herself to her knees as she grabbed for his hands. "There're people in the halls...in the rooms...you'll kill everyone, and take half the building with you."

A laugh sounded from the woman, sounding lightly as she tilted her head to one side, reaching up with a hand and scratching the neck of the raven on her shoulder. "Too bad for you, having to watch out for all these little humans. Weak little souls, not worth very much on their own. But the Hoste of one with the blessings of a planet, of a miko, and one of a hanyou...those would be much stronger."

Inuyasha carefully pushed the still weakened Kagome off him, against the wall, standing in front of her and drawing a transforming Tetsusaiga. People all up and down the halls, crystals floating around them, around her. He could kill them all. But he'd be damned if he was just going to sit there.

She was lifting her staff casually into the air, black electricity gathering around the star on its tip. No hurries, no rush. She was confident they posed no threat, not with the souls of others to shield her. "I might as well take your Hoste and that tama now...you're fairly irrelevant really, in the grand scheme of things...."

"Dead Scream."

The Witch's eyes widened as a small orb of purple light came straight at her, flying along the hallway. She spun, hearing glass shatter and the screeching noises of her familiar as she broke off her attack suddenly, covering her head.

Inuyasha, Kagome and Dreamweaver turned to see the timely arrival of Sailor Pluto, lifting her Timestaff again for a second blast as she moved forward after the fleeing woman in the doorway. Wordlessly, Weaver followed her as she moved forward, running to catch up to their attacker. The cloud of crystals remained, hovering in the entranceway, now empty.

He hesitated, half wanting to follow, half wanting to stay. Kagome decided for him. "Go, Inuyasha...they'll need your help...go! Hurry!"

With a nod, he ran forward through the gathering of souls, out into the daylight of the school's practice field. Pluto and Dreamweaver had taken up stances on either side of the doors, weapons ready. As he arrived, he could hear their voices lifting up, calling out to their opponent.

"Invited by the new era, Guarded by the Time Space Star Pluto, the soldier of Revolution, Sailor Pluto."

"For these crimes against innocent souls, I will let you know only nightmares...protected by the planet of Death, the soldier of Dreams, Sailor Dreamweaver."

And, in unison, "We will never forgive you!"

Inuyasha felt a little stupid suddenly. Was he supposed to say something here?

Fortunately, before he could think of anything to say, or decide upon saying anything at all, their attacker began to speak, her pet raven circling overhead, flapping ragged wings in the sunlight. Tetsusaiga felt light in his hands, ready to be used. Here, there were no floating crystals of soul, and only open field. He grinned, searching out the place where this woman's youki clashed. The place to strike.

"Sailor Pluto, Sailor Dreamweaver. Inuyasha, hanyou of the sengoku jidai."

Hearing his name and era gave Inuyasha pause, eyes widening at her proclamation. Knowing the senshi, that he could understand, but him? He'd stayed hidden. He hadn't liked it, but nobody should know who he was, much less their enemy. Her youki was swirling outward in a deep ebony aura, the smell of a bird mingled with the smell of death and of blood, the smell of corpses on a battlefield. Her pet cawed above them, finally settling down on the woman's shoulder, a diminutive version of his mistress.

"Raven youkai!"

She smiled, lips curving upward slightly. "Yes, hanyou," she said lowly, then, louder, "I am Karasu! Magus of Tau Ceti, possessing the Vessel of a youkai of the Earth!"

Inuyasha could feel the auras of Pluto and Weaver expand as they prepared themselves again for battle. Pluto could fight, that he knew, but if Dreamweaver had any kind of attack like the whispered Dead Scream, she would have used it in the hallway before, rather than their close call when Pluto arrived. He eliminated Weaver from the fighting force mentally. Then it was two against one, or two against two, if that pet of hers had any powers at all. A naginata alone would be of little help now.

"Whoever the hell you are, I don't care! I can smell the stench of birds on you!" The black cloud of her youki swarmed outward, and finding the place of the Cutting Wind was easy enough.

Karasu saw him moving to swing his gigantic sword. That was something she had not seen before, and she could feel enormous power building up around it as he brought it backward. But he was slower than she.

"_Shadow Buster!_"

Dark energy rippled from her hands in translucent waves, a high pitched sound of something tearing pealing across the space between them. Inuyasha, more sensitive to noise, flattened his ears against his head in pain as the massive black shockwave of her attack began to catch up to the speed of sound.

There was a motion ahead of him, of something glinting in the light.

"_Spiral Dome!_"

Dreamweaver was there, in front of him, leaning heavily on her naginata, shoving it forward against the spacial distortions. A thick cloud of mist was spread out against the black shadows, swirling heavily and sparking lavender light where energies clashed, resisting the force applied against it. The dome itself was was a huge, curving wall, silently spreading out and diffusing the blast before it impacted the school building.

Though the wall protected them, the impact of Karasu's attack sent Pluto and Inuyasha stumbling, Pluto catching herself against the ground with her Timestaff. Dreamweaver kept her naginata braced against the ground, the sharp blade thick inside the mist she summoned.

There was an outraged scream from beyond the dome, and Inuyasha heard Pluto shout at him. "Brace yourself!"

"With what?!"

Again, Karasu repeated her attack, concentrating its full force at a single spot. The place where Dreamweaver held up the dome.

"Shadow Buster!"

The ground buckled as the dome sent the energy pulse shooting off in various directions, sliding off against it and sending it into the air, the earth. Inuyasha imitated Pluto, digging the blade of Tetsusaiga into the ground and leaning into it, keeping himself upright as the blast was again repelled.

Then it became very quiet.

Inuyasha looked up, and swore a very long string of vulgarities. Two black ravens were flapping higher into the sky, swiftly making their way away from the school.

Dreamweaver fell onto her knees, her naginata in her hands, still upright, and keeping her the same way. Pluto ran forward, checking on Dreamweaver, quickly glancing upward and seeing what Inuyasha was swearing about.

"Inuyasha...."

He cut off abruptly, turning around to see Kagome leaning heavily against the broken doorframe. She looked a bit worse for wear, but seemed to be the only person inside who was moving at all. "Kagome, what the hell are you doing out here? You should be inside-"

"Inuyasha," she muttered as she sheathed Tetsusaiga, "you worry like a babaa."

"What?!"

Kagome grunted as he grabbed onto her arms, careful despite being irritated with her. She looked slightly dizzy, so he helped her down to the ground again, and she shook her head, blinking. "Ugh...is everyone all right?" she leaned around Inuyasha to see Pluto help Dreamweaver up, looking a bit stunned, but otherwise fine. "Karasu...she said her name was Karasu?"

"Yes," Pluto responded as she and Weaver walked over. Dreamweaver was clutching her weapon a bit nervously, though not without a determined look on her face. "Karasu. Inuyasha, you said she smelled of raven?"

"Like a battlefield, yeah."

"At least we know who our enemy is then," Kagome sighed, a hand rising to her forehead. "Karasu. A...Magus?"

"So she says," came Pluto's response, and then she glanced into the building, seeing one or two figures begin to stir. "It won't be long before people recover. This place will be swarming with medics and police in a few minutes. We'd best go."

"Feh! She could be coming back-"

"Inuyasha," Kagome interrupted him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "She won't. She didn't expect...well, whatever you did..." she said, looking at Dreamweaver, who glanced at her naginata in amazement.

"I never...did anything like that before," she demurred, lowering her eyes.

Kagome was nodding. "And I don't think she liked the idea of you using Kaze no Kizu, Inuyasha. She wasn't ready for it...she wasn't ready. Pluto's right," she continued, turning to hear some coughing and mumbling behind them. "You've only got a couple seconds before everyone's up again. With all this, they'll probably let us off school the rest of today."

"We'll wait for you across the street," Pluto told her, nodding. "Meet us there. We'll discuss things later, and share with the others."

"Feh, the others should have come if-"

"They have class," Weaver told him. "They can get out, but it's suspicious, and takes too long."

"School is stupid!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome snapped. "This isn't the time! Go! I've got to get back in with everybody else...go! I'll meet you as soon as I can."

She shoved him away, and he growled, standing as she pulled herself up on the doorframe.

"Inuyasha-kun," he heard Dreamweaver say, and lightly tug at his sleeve. "Come. Please?"

"As soon as you can," he told Kagome flatly, then turned away, hurrying off as students woke up, beginning to call to their fallen friends.

* * *

Terms of note:

Kaze no Kizu- either 'Cutting Wind' or 'Wound of the Wind.' The manga synopsis-es I've read use 'Cutting Wind,' though the fansubs I've seen opt for 'Wound of the Wind.'

tama- jewel

youki- a youkai's energy signature...like an aura

sengoku jidai- Warring States Period/Era

So. Her name is Karasu. When I was trying to figure out what kind of youkai she was, I debated awhile...I wanted an interesting/sleek animal for her Vessel.... I thought of all kinds of things: cat, wolf, (though I think Kouga'd be a bit upset there....) various lizards and insects...nothing clicked. Eventually, I came up with a raven. (Should have been obvious- symbolic birds of death, duh....) 'Karasu' means either raven or crow, and I'm opting for raven in this case. (I mean, can you see an evil canary trying to be a villain? Or a parrot? Or a rabbit? lmao, a rabbit youkai! Like the demon rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail!!! Now there's a scary thought. o.o) But, our heroes/heroines have now met her, and know her name. All the Death Busters had 'Buster' attacks. At least the Witches 5 did, and I'm imitating that. 'Shadow Buster' sounded good for a raven. And since Karasu is a bit more powerful, being a Magus, than the Witches 5 were, her 'Shadow Buster' is stronger as well.

As for Dreamweaver's performance- at this point in her story, (I've been piecing her together a little at a time...she didn't just arrive with her powers. She wasn't supposed to be a senshi in the first place...) at this point, she's only armed with one attack. The 'Spiral Dome' was new. Since her power stems from Saturn, I try to keep her on an even keel with Sailor Saturn/Hotaru as far as abilities go. Though she's _not_ another Sailor Saturn. The only attack she had at the beginning of the chapter is her equalivent to Saturn's 'Death Reborn Revolution.' A forbidden attack. It's much smaller in scale, but since they're supposed to be on the same curve, though opposite ends. Her highest attack, 'Nightmare Relevation' destroys, not the physical, but the spiritual. Using an attack that destroys souls in a hallway full of crystalized ones would be a really, really_ bad_ thing to do. 'Spiral Dome' is Weaver's version of Saturn's 'Silence Wall,' and just made it's debut. ^_^

And I had soooo much fun with the scene when Inuyasha finds Kagome falling over...him holding her heart crystal/soul...I was proofing this chapter, and added quite a bit on in the revisions. Originally he just found it, then pushed it back in...I think this way is sweeter and more romantic, her waking up a little when he holds it. Also, Kagome's soul is _huge_...in the episode when Kanna tries to steal it in her mirror...and it just _overflows_...so, her soul has crystalized, but to reflect the size, it shines much brighter than anyone else's. In the SM anime, only Usagi's soul shone that much, the light supposedly a 'barometer of it's purity.' And we all know about Kagome's ability to purify the Shikon no Tama. ^.~ So I'm assuming Kagome would have a very bright soul as well.

I know, this chapter is short- but the next one is a bit long. Besides, lots of important stuff in here...next chapter was one of the most fun to write...good doses of humor, I hope. ^_^ Also will include an Omake!

So, til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 7: Changes-

Setsuna spoke before either Kagome or Inuyasha could ask what the key was, or what it did, exactly. "People of the past must not know of the future. His being here is already bad enough. The use of a timekey would only effect matters further."


	8. Changes

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_Then to this moment could I say:_

_Linger you now, you are so fair!_

_Now records of my earthly day_

_No flights of aeons can impair-_

_Foreknowledge comes, and fills me with such bliss._

_I take my joy, my highest moment this._

_-Faust, Goethe_

_Taken from 'Sophie's World', p.327_

*

Chapter 7- Changes

As Kagome suspected, once the administrators and teachers woke up, it was decided to let the students out of school. They declared there was a pipe bomb somewhere in the building, to explain for the mess of the hallways around the southern corridor, and the fact the doors had been blown out by an explosion. Kagome was one of the better off students, and managed to elude the press that was swarming around outside the school. This was the second time in only a couple days she'd had to get away from the attention of police or reporters. Not that anyone made a connection between the two attacks; not yet, at least, much less trace it to her presence.

Setsuna, Ukifune- Kami, she reminded herself brusquely, Kami. Setsuna, _Kami_ and Inuyasha waited as promised across the street of the school, Kami restraining Inuyasha from running out into the crowd to steer her through. Setsuna had instead, guiding her around people carefully and far less conspicuously than Inuyasha would have. The Guardian of Time could give off a strong commanding air when she wanted to, and after seeing the tall woman take Kagome's arm, few people wanted to ask her about her version of events.

Kagome had worried about her friends, but knew better than to stay. They were all fine, other than poor Hojo, who had the misfortune of being on the stairs when Karasu had begun to wander through the hallways. He had a nice sized bruise on his head from a fall, but seemed glad when she checked on him along with her other friends.

They had all gone to the home of the Outer Senshi, minus Setsuna, who returned to the Observatory for awhile, to tell the professors there that she was having a family emergency. Dreamweaver had been fortunate when she called her. It was lunchtime, and Setsuna had just been heading to the cafeteria. It was easy enough for her to slip away unnoticed. She returned home soon enough; Kami knew how to use a microwave now, and was under the impression that Kagome was in need of some food, since the attack came just as she was heading to lunch as well. That was probably intentional, they reasoned eventually. With everyone in the hallways, it would be harder for Karasu to miss anyone, or for them to call for help from outside.

Kami put her modern-day culinary skills to work, producing green tea and a bowl of steaming instant ramen noodles. Then a second and third bowl when she discovered Inuyasha loved ramen noodles, and also loved to eat them. Messily. Kagome ate heartily as well, though with a bit less gusto. Kami was right; apparently having your Hoste sucked out and crystalized takes a lot out of you.

As time ticked away, Kami stood and left the other three, saying she was going to go pick up Hotaru from school. Setsuna nodded, as though this were usual behavior for the other woman. Eventually, they decided they best head to the Hikawa Jinja, for the evening meeting. On her way back from the Observatory that afternoon, Setsuna also slipped into Juuban High, surprising four of the Inners as they, in turn, ate lunch together outside. Rei was called after classes ended for the day, and told to turn on her tv, where people were discussing violence in schools today, isn't it terrible? More security, more protection, they need to keep control!

Right now, however, Kagome and Inuyasha were currnently stuffed into the back of Michiru's car, now driven by Setsuna, with schoolbooks on the floor by Kagome's feet. They were travelling across town, the windows open with wind whipping through, since the day was clear, the air freshly cleaned by the previous night's rains, cottony and soft.

Inuyasha stuck his head out the window.

Kagome lunged at him, grabbing the back of his kimono and hauling him back into the car. "Inuyasha, keep your head inside!"

"Why?"

She sighed, exasperated, "Because it makes you look like a dog!"

Inuyasha blinked.

Kagome groaned.

Setsuna, from the driver's seat, chuckled.

They parked the car just down the street, quickly moving their way towards the high rows of steps that led to the jinja. Traffic was few in this corner of Juuban, and they made their way without anyone noticing, or even caring they were there. People heading into a shrine was hardly an uncommon occurrence...though perhaps not for a half youkai.

***

Setsuna rapped lightly on the door, and muffled sounds from within grew quiet. The house was old fashioned, with sloping tiled roofs, and the layout of the place not so different from Kagome's home. Leafy shinboku trees, reaching up high, hemming a courtyard and torii. It was somewhat different to look at during the day, though lengthening shadows were deepening it into the familiar appearance Kagome had seen last night. A few moments later, the door to the house was pulled open, and there stood Hino Rei, dressed in a miko's robes. She held aside the door for them, and they entered as she ushered them into the hallway.

"We're in the kitchen now, just getting some food together. I managed to convince Grandpa we needed some groceries, so we've got an hour or so before he gets back."

Inuyasha peered around Setsuna, taking in the house's interior. It smelled good, of some of the things Kagome would sometimes bring. Potato chips, he realized after a moment. And also of incense, the smell that seemed to cling to Rei. Black and white pictures of family hung on walls, and they entered a nice kitchen with a swept linoleum floor.

There were a couple people there already. Kami was standing at the counter, now out of her senshi fuku and into a denim skirt, mockneck black shirt and sandals. She was carefully pulling open bags of chips, salt scented air rushing around her face. Two other girls were also in the room, and he recognized them from the previous night. Tomoe Hotaru, Kami's would-be sister, dressed in a knee length, pleated skirt and dark blouse, a row of buttons in the front. A school uniform, Inuyasha recognized. Hotaru was standing at the dining room table, short dark hair slanting downwards as she placed cans of cola and green tea on a tray. A little grey kitten sat on her haunches on the table, owlishly looking at the newcomers, obviously curious. She looked at him, blinked once, and Inuyasha could have sworn she smiled.

Another little girl was moving around the kitchen, and Inuyasha tried to remember her name. The kid who smelled like Usagi and Mamoru. Chibiusa, the one who was from the future. Fluffy pink hair in pigtails, not wearing a school uniform, but instead a blue pinafore and white blouse. She made a happy sound when she found what she was looking for, then hurriedly reached into the cabinet, pulling out a set of matching wooden bowls.

Heads turned, with varied expressions, on seeing Inuyasha and Kagome. Kami smiled in greeting. Hotaru looked a bit uncertain, and Chibiusa blinked...then beamed. "Konbanwa, Inuyasha-san, Kagome-san. We're just getting some food ready for when everybody gets here," she told them as she set the bowls down in front of Kami.

"You've got enough for an army," Kagome marveled, staring at the bowls of chips, dip, and chocolate chip cookies.

"And half of it will be going into Usagi's stomach," Rei grumbled, sighing and turning to the pantry to rummage around. "She eats like a five hundred pound man."

"Rei-chan, do you have any salsa?" Chibiusa asked, turning from the counter where she was holding the last empty bowl.

"Yeah. Hot, too. Here," the miko told her, turning around with a glass jar in hand. The lid popped open, and the smells of tomato and pepper wafted around the room spicily. "Kagome, Inuyasha, have a seat. Help yourselves, you may not get any when the odango shows up to eat it all."

Kagome grinned and leaned over the table, taking a scoop shaped nacho chip and dipping it into the bowl before Chibiusa headed for the table with it. Her eyes watered a bit at the spices, and Inuyasha watched her face turn a bit red. "You alright?"

"Yeah," she nodded, wiping away a tear from an eye. "Spicy. Good, Rei-san."

"Thanks. Mako-chan called and said that Ami and Minako went with to her apartment to get the food...she didn't sound too happy, either," Rei frowned, folding her arms. "I wish you'd told me that they were going out after school, Setsuna-san."

The older woman shrugged, shaking her head and leaning against the chair's backrest. "You were better off scrying. Nothing in the fire?"

She ran a hand through her hair, and felt oddly aware of the several sets of eyes on her. Kagome and Inuyasha looked confused, so she elaborated, "We have a fire shrine...sometimes I go there to meditate, and to scry for things...sometimes it helps. Other times...just snatches of things. I saw the Witches 5, but we've already fought with them...if she is a Death Buster...I don't know, is it possible for the Sacred Fire to get mixed signals?"

"You'd know most about it, Rei," Hotaru said, speaking quietly. She pulled out one of the chairs and sat herself on the edge of it, purple eyes moving from Rei to Setsuna, then to Kami, and Inuyasha and Kagome, the latter now seated at the table. Her eyes then slid away, down to the table as she picked up a can of Pepsi and pulled open the tab with a small popping sound. "Nothing is as before."

"So you can see into fires, too?" Inuyasha asked, and she looked at him for a moment with wide eyes, then snapped them away, holding the aluminum can in small hands, turning it around and around silently.

"Hotaru-chan can't see into fires," Chibiusa told him, laughing a bit nervously and scurrying over to the table with a small glass bowl full of milk. She set it down in front of the quiet little grey cat, saying, "Here you go, Diana."

"Thank you."

"Welcome," came the reply, as Chibiusa flounced back to the counter. "Mamo-chan's not usually late-"

"Did that cat just talk?" Kagome blinked, staring at the little kitten, who was lapping up milk delicately. Wide cinnamon colored eyes looked back at her, and Kagome noticed a strange mark on her forehead, a crescent moon between her brows. A sweet expression filled the kitten's face, and she mewed once.

Sniff. Sniff.

Inuyasha poked his nose closer to the cat. He had distinctly heard her say 'arigatou.' Nothing funny about her smell. Though she did appear to be laughing at him now, one eye closed and a paw over her nose. "You don't smell like a youkai."

"I'm not a youkai," came the reply, and she giggled, bowing her head to lap up some more milk. A tiny bell on her collar jingled when she laughed at him.

"Diana is Small Lady's future advisor, Inuyasha, Kagome," Setsuna informed them, leaning forward and placing her elbows on the table, gently petting Diana's head once. In the light of the chandelier above the table, Kagome noticed that her hair was in fact not black, but reflecting a very dark shade of green, pulled back into its little bun.

"Small Lady?"

"Me," Chibiusa supplied, hopping up onto the counter and crossing her ankles politely. She swung them back and forth a bit. "Puu always calls me Small Lady."

"Puu? For Pluto?" Kagome guessed, and Setsuna gave her a small nod in acknowledgement. "Why Small 'Lady'? Just a pet name?"

"Oh, no, that's because I'm-"

The doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. Rang. Again, rang. Rang. Rang, rang, rang, rang, rang....

"Ugh! That must be Usagi...or Minako. Probably Usagi-chan. I'll get it," Rei grumbled, covering her ears as the bell continued to sound over and over.

"What the hell is she ringing?" Inuyasha shouted, covering his own ears. "Why is she ringing it fifty times? It's annoying as hell!"

There was the sound of a door opening, and of Rei scolding. Then footsteps in the hallway, and Usagi appeared, waving, with an embarassed looking Mamoru behind her, scratching his head. Each had a cat with them, Mamoru holding a white one and Usagi with a black one draped over her shoulders. She was still in her own school uniform, navy blue skirt, collar and bow with a white blouse, her boyfriend in a pressed blue shirt and jeans. Mamoru, finally recovering from embarassment at the ringing, glanced at Inuyasha, who was glaring at Usagi, ears still twitching. "There's no stopping her from it. I get it all the time."

"Feh!"

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi cried, looking a bit wounded as she set the black cat down beside Diana. "I thought you liked my surprise visits!"

Mamoru smiled weakly, shaking his head as Rei squeezed her way past him and back into the kitchen. As the racket faded in his ears, Inuyasha peered in a bit closer to the black cat on the table, sniffing her as well. Another with the weird crescent mark. The cat was looking highly insulted, drawing herself up and opening her mouth just as another voice shouted: "OY!"

That was a new voice. And...male. Inuyasha turned around to see the white cat leap out of Mamoru's arms and actually manage to land on the table. "Stop sniffing up my wife!"

"I can defend myself, Artemis," came the sharp retort from the black cat. The white one looked about ready to hiss at the hanyou. Diana looked a bit embarrassed, scratching her head with a paw nervously. "I'm Luna. This is Artemis, demon cat extraordinaire."

Sniff, sniff. "You don't smell like a youkai."

"I'm _not_ a youkai!"

"Mom, Dad, can we please stop arguing with the _dog_ youkai?"

"So these are your parents?" Kagome asked, a little confused by the strange little family spat going on atop the table.

"Well, not yet," Diana allowed, edging away from her parents a bit. "I'm not born yet."

"I...see," Kagome breathed, watching the two other cats back down slowly. "So you all talk? But you're not youkai? How?"

Luna, the black one, turned her head to Kagome and settled herself down on her haunches, curling her tail up around her paws. "We advise the leaders of the Silver Millennium. I guard Princess Serenity, to see that she fulfills her destiny. Artemis belongs to Venus, the leader of the Princess' guardian senshi."

"Princess?" Inuyasha asked, finally deciding to sit down. The kitchen and dining room were getting cramped, with people filing in. When the other three got there, it would get even worse. He sat himself down against the wall, folding up his legs and balancing Tetsusaiga against his shoulder. "What's 'Princess'?"

"Oh, uh, that would be me," Usagi laughed a bit shyly, raising her hand and grinning. "A Princess...is a hime." She'd never announced it to anyone before, other than a senshi. Of course they believed it, being a part of the thing already. But an outsider? A bit nervously, she glanced between Inuyasha and Kagome, awaiting their reactions. Inuyasha seemed unimpressed, just grunting and holding his katana tighter. A hime in the sengoku jidai was no uncommon thing. With warring daiymo, there were plenty of girls and women claiming the title. Kagome, however, was round eyed, looking more than a little surprised.

"Princess? Of what? Where? How? I mean...I don't know. Of what?"

"Um...the Moon?"

Kagome blinked. The Moon? "Oh," was all she managed to say uncertainly.

"We are all reincarnations, Kagome," Kami told her gently, drawing out a chair beside Hotaru and sitting down. "I never made it to my first life, with the others. To each planet, a princess. To the Earth..." she glanced at Mamoru. "A prince."

"And Mamo-chan and I were Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity, living in the Moon Kingdom, centuries ago," Usagi said, glancing down at the bowl of cookies before her. She picked one out, nibbling on the edge for a moment. "An evil woman named Beryl tried to usurp the throne of Earth...and led a revolt against the Moon," she explained, waving the cookie around as she spoke. Then her voice grew thin, and she set it down on the counter, remember the next stage of the tale. "And...she...well...." Usagi trailed off quietly.

"Killed me," Mamoru said bluntly. "It was a long time ago. Another life," he told them, leaning against the doorframe. "Fortunately, Usagi's mother then, Queen Serenity, sealed away Beryl's leader, Metallia. She resurfaced about a year ago. That was when we finally met again, after so many centuries." His blue eyes were on Usagi, and she was returning the gaze, a small smile on her face. "We got a second chance at destiny, in this era," he finished, as Usagi slipped a bit closer, and he set an arm around her shoulders, letting her lean into him a bit.

"Amazing..." Kagome murmured, looking at the hands in her lap, then, through her lashed glanced at Inuyasha. He was staring intensely at the linoleum floor between his bare feet, frowning and not looking up. A second chance at destiny, sprung from this era. Strange.

"So this Metallia person was behind the Death Busters people?" Inuyasha asked after a moment, looking up finally. "What was she?"

"Metallia wasn't a Death Buster," Mamoru continued, looking down at the young man beside him on the floor. "That was Pharoah 90, and...the others," he amended, suddenly catching himself before saying another name. Hotaru was clutching her can tightly, the thin aluminum sides denting under her grip. "Metallia was basically the coming together of evil energies, given a mind and thought, sealed away for years. When Beryl was reincarnated as well, she found and awakened her old mistress."

The can was crushed in Hotaru's hands, and brown liquid splashed out of it. "Oh!" the girl exclaimed, and Kami reached for the napkins on the table, as Chibiusa rushed over with a dishrag from the sink, the cats backing away before getting sticky. "I'm sorry...."

"It's okay, Hotaru-chan," Setsuna said quietly, patting at the spill with a napkin as well. "We've got it."

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged glances, and some quiet undercurrent of understanding passed from Inuyasha to Kagome. It said, '_I know something. Will tell you later. Soon._' She nodded, watching from her corner of the table.

"Oh!" Usagi suddenly cried, disrupting Kagome and Inuyasha's silent exchange by snapping her fingers. "I almost forgot!"

Rei rolled her eyes. Usagi forgetting things was hardly unusual. "Now what?"

The excited Moon Princess was digging through the pockets of her pleated skirt, and a moment later, produced a small penlike thing, the end tipped in a pink jewel. "Luna, I was thinking this morning...will this work?" She held it up into the air, and the black cat blinked, then slowly began to nod, rising to all four paws, glancing between Usagi and Inuyasha. The hanyou suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, getting the feeling the females of the room were scheming against him.

"Usagi-chan, for once I think you had a good idea," Luna acknowledged, slowly appriciating Usagi's enthusiasm. This might actually work. "We can try it. No harm."

"No harm in what? What are you planning to do to me?" Inuyasha was frowning suspiciously at the cat and the odangoed girl. He drew back a bit when Usagi broke away from Mamoru, and pushed the pen down at him. "What?"

"It's the Luna Pen!" Usagi told him eagerly, as though this explained everything. She was still pushing it at him, so he reluctantly took it, holding it with his fingertips, as though it might bite him if he wasn't careful. Out of her hands, Usagi edged backwards, smiling expectantly. He glared at her, lifting an eyebrow, and he heard the black cat's voice from behind.

"The pen is meant for disguising, by way of a henshin, a transformation. Usagi-chan hasn't found much use for it recently...to disguise your more youkai-like physical traits, it could be useful if it will function for you. We've never really tried it on anyone other than a senshi. It should work...at least in theory."

Inuyasha stared at the thing. A golden colored bit of metal, with a prismic pink stone on the tip, the edges catching in the light a bit. No one other than a senshi? That meant a girl. And in theory? He glanced at Luna. "I'm not going to turn into a girl or some shit like that, am I?"

That elicited a couple giggles from some members of the gathered group. Rei snorted. "Hell no. Does this look like 'Ranma 1/2' to you? Just try it."

"What's a Ranma 1/2?" Inuyasha asked Kagome, bewildered and suspicious. Sometimes they referred to things he had no clue about...she had an unreadable expression on her face, something between nervousness, embarrassment and laughter.

"Don't worry about it, Inuyasha. Just try it, okay? It can't hurt."

He frowned, not liking this at all. "How?"

"Say, 'Moon Power' and then what you want to look like," Artemis glowered, still a bit miffed with Inuyasha for sniffing Luna. "That you want to look human."

Inuyasha snorted. He hated being human. Weak and defenseless, without claws or sense of smell or hearing. That he didn't want, not with that Karasu bitch wandering around. "I'm going to be human? Forget about it. I can't fight-"

"No, no," Usagi cut in, shaking her head vehemently. "You won't actually_ be_ human. It's kinda like an illusion. Your clothes and all will change, but you're still you."

"Inuyasha," Kagome coaxed, "just try it. If Usagi's done it, I'm sure you can too."

Was she suggesting he couldn't do something a girl could do? Feh!

"Fine," he growled, standing up and looking at the pink little jewel. "This is stupid. Moon Power. Make me look like a human."

White ribbons of light burst out of the gem, and since Inuyasha had been peering straight into the tip, the brightness hit his eyes. Startled, he dropped the thing, backing away and banging into the wall as he covered his face with his free hand, as though to beat away the light. But it was already too late. The white light faded away, and there were a couple of quickly muffled exclamations from the girls in the room.

"What the fucking hell was that?!"

Then he blinked. Why was everybody staring at him?

Oh shit, he didn't turn into a girl, did he?

He looked back and forth, turning around a couple times to see himself both forward and backward. The pen had put him into a prep school uniform, black pants and a white oxford shirt, a red blazer over it with a black tie. Otherwise, he saw bits of his hair down his back, also black. He looked at his hands, still holding Tetsusaiga, and though they were clawless, he felt none of the lacking of strength that usually accompanied his turning into a human on the night of the new moon.

A chair scraped across the floor, and he heard Kagome's footsteps. Looking up, she was searching his face closely, with curious wide eyes. "Just like the new moon...Inuyasha?"

He glanced at Tetsusaiga, held in his palms, then at the pen, rolled away a bit on the floor. It was disconcerting. "I'm fine...I think. Oy, Usagi. How do I turn back?"

"Well, actually, I've always had to henshin into Sailor Moon whenever I've used it..." she realized thoughtfully, a hand to her chin.

Alarmed, "You mean I can't turn back?!"

"Well, you could try just telling the pen to turn you back...."

"You should have fucking told me that before!"

Usagi backed away a little nervously, as Kagome leapt in to restrain an upset Inuyasha.

Then doorbell rang. And rang. And rang. Rang. Rang...suddenly stopped ringing, and then there was a polite knock.

Rei groaned, heading for the door. "Ami-chan must have stopped Minako-chan. I'll get it...."

Kagome continued to soothe the irritated Inuyasha, though somewhat amused by the whole thing in general. She seriously doubted that Inuyasha would be stuck that way. And of course if Inuyasha were actually planning on attacking Usagi, she'd just 'osuwari' him down. Usagi, under Inuyasha's glaring, had backed up a bit into Mamoru, who also looked a bit amused by the situation, and was trying not to laugh as his girlfriend backed away from the angry dog demon.

Footsteps pounded through the hallway, and four of the Inner Senshi appeared, pressing in far enough to see the human looking Inuyasha on the verge of a fistfight with a nervous Usagi.

Hands full of stacked pizzas, Makoto attempted to drop into a more defensive position, confusedly trying to follow what was going on. Minako blinked, looking around the room while balancing another pizza in her hands, finally got to the black haired, earless and clawless Inuyasha asking, "Who's the hottie?"

That was enough to interrupt Inuyasha's concentration, and he looked at the red ribboned pretty soldier of love and beauty in bewilderment. Rei was shoving the other three forward from behind, into the room, knowing nothing was wrong. With Makoto and Minako out of her way, Ami was able to see what was going on. She glanced from Inuyasha to the floor, where the Luna Pen lay. She picked it up, considered it for a second, then said to him, "Inuyasha?"

"Feh!" was her answer.

Ami smiled faintly, and held out the pen to him. "I see you've been trying to disguise yourself. You should be able to turn back by requesting it to return you to normal. It's merely a tangible illusion."

He kept his sour expression, and Kagome accepted the pen from Ami instead, sticking it into Inuyasha's emblazoned jacket pocket, and letting her hand rest there for a moment longer as she told him, "You look perfectly human, Inuyasha. You'll be able to blend in fine now. Really."

Consolation from Kagome was a bit more reassuring, and he let himself calm down a bit, shooting Usagi another irritated look.

"Okay, are we done arguing now, because the pizza is starting to heat through the hot pads," Makoto said, gingerly angling her way around the two newcomers to the group. Minako followed her a moment later, setting hers down on the counter as Kami pushed aside the silverware, clearing a bit of space. Each of them released clouds of steam as they peeled back the layers of aluminum foil Makoto wrapped the pizza in, and the smells of freshly baked Italian food wafted warmly through the house.

There was a clattering of plates, and Chibiusa leapt off the side counter to come around, as Rei headed for a drawer for a pizza slicer and server. Makoto was continuing to talk, raising her voice over the new clamor of voices, some louder than others. "Okay, we've only got three...one half cheese for Usagi-chan," that was accompanied by a squeal of delight, "one half sausage. Next one has green pepper for Minako," another squeal and Minako whipping around to dive into the huddle around the table, "and the last is all pepperoni. That's on the counter. Help yourselves!"

"Mm, homemade pizza," Kagome murmured, edging herself and Inuyasha aside and out of the way. Mamoru was also hanging back, waiting for the stampede to end. Kami had her hands over her head, trying to protect herself from the barrage of passing plates and elbows, and Hotaru was half under the table. Setsuna was leaning as far back as possible as everyone else sliced and cut and passed food around. "Mm, it smells good, ne, Inuyasha?"

He was trying to see around the packed female bodies, and not succeeding. Though he had to admit, Kagome was right. It smelled great, even of things he'd never smelled before. Spices and tomato sauce, cheese and baked dough and peppers. "What is it?"

"A foreign food," explained Kagome, tugging on his arm now that it was deemed safe enough, and the senshi were backing away to various places to eat their slices. "It's good. You'll love it. Come on."

A moment later, Inuyasha had been forced to set aside Tetsusaiga, and had his hands full of a plate with this 'pizza' thing on it. It was triangular shaped, and had the 'pepperoni' on it. It was also hot, and he imitated Kagome, blowing on it to cool. He watched as she held it up to her face, cheeks puffing out a bit as she concentrated on the food. Tentatively, she picked it up with her fingertips, raising the pointed end and biting down. Strings of mozzarella cheese dangled between the food and her lips, and she tried to bite the two apart. After a moment, she looked up at him, trying not to giggle as he continued to imitate her, holding the pizza farther and farther away as the cheese lengthened out. Makoto, wonderful cook that she was, had heaped it on. Kagome smiled at his consternation, reached out and pinched the trail just in front of his mouth. He managed to pull the ends apart as Kagome put the rest back onto the plate, laughing at him as a very faint tinge of pinkness rose on his face.

Neither noticed the slightly demonic grin Minako had on her face.

If they knew her better, they would have known exactly what she was plotting. Nobody noticed budding romance better than the senshi of Venus.

The chatter was dulling, and as everyone settled in, he could tell they were growing serious again. Sailor Senshi were weird people, Inuyasha decided. Though pretty much everything in Kagome's time was weird, in his opinion.

"Did you three find anything today, after school?" Rei asked as she settled herself into the ring around the table, wedged into a chair in back with Minako.

Ami wiped her mouth with a napkin, setting her pizza slice back down. "No. I ran some scans on the area, but all I got were tracings of youki, which basically correlates to what I found before, linking daimon with youkai. The police are all over everything, and the news. Really not much more than what they've found. We talked to a couple of students, but all we managed to learn is that when the lunch bell sounded, everyone went out into the halls...."

"And started keeling over," Kagome cut in, adding to the story. Eyes switched to her, and she took a deep breath. "I saw that Karasu woman walking around, through the hallways...she would point her staff thing down one, and there was a black light...everyone was hit by it. Me too. Then those crystal like things started appearing. Their...Hoste? Their soul?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what happened before," Makoto sighed, setting down the crust of her pepperoni and holding the plate as she leaned against the counter, Chibiusa sitting atop it just behind her. "If you resisted it that long, you must have a pretty strong soul, Kagome."

"Eh...heh...." Kagome managed, paying a lot of attention to her food again.

Inuyasha watched her nervousness, and cut in, "Ukifune-"

"My name is Kami," the girl insisted quietly, leaning around Usagi to see the hanyou. "Kami."

He met her gaze for a moment, and nodded once. It was true enough. The Ukifune he met was this girl...but not this girl. A past self and a present self, though not quite reincarnated. "Kami," he acknowledged, "figured out how to put up that big dome thing to protect the building."

"Dome thing? Kami-san?" Usagi asked, turning to the girl beside her. "You learned an attack?"

She blushed, looking down and covering her mouth with a hand thoughtfully. "I wondered if maybe mine would be like Hotaru-chan's, since we are both of Saturn. It seems I have a Silence Wall of my own."

"That's wonderful, onee-san," Hotaru beamed, leaning around Usagi, who had set herself between them when she dug into the pizza. "Then perhaps also an offensive attack?"

She smiled in return, nodding once and looking at Inuyasha. "Her attack was powerful. She said 'Shadow Buster'...I didn't know if I could hold it up...I didn't know what I was doing."

"Feh. Well, at least she didn't get any of those people's souls," Inuyasha stated as he shoved the last bit of pizza into his mouth, chewing before snapping, "Your precious school kept you from getting there in time to help out."

That, of course, set off a barrage of protests.

"School is important to us in this era-"

"We can't help it!"

"I'd have to make it across half of town!"

"Do you know what would happen if I snuck out of chemistry again? I'd get detention for a month!"

"But I'm already failing history!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome frowned, turning on him. "They can't get out of classes! Neither can I! It's not like we have the others to help us out here!"

"Then why the hell can't we just bring them here? There's got to be a way to get them through the well-"

"Why the well?" Chibiusa asked, pulling something out from under her shirt. Kagome and Inuyasha stared at the end of her silvery necklace. A scripted key hung there, dangling idly where she held it. "Puu, it can't be too much worse than it is already to bring their friends here, ne? We've trusted them this far."

Setsuna spoke before either Kagome or Inuyasha could ask what the key was, or what it did, exactly. "People of the past must not know of the future. His being here is already bad enough. The use of a timekey would only effect matters further."

"But you allowed him to stay, ne?" Chibiusa pressed, leaning forward and being as sweet as she could. Pluto never could resist her for long. She smiled, and Setsuna lifted her eyebrows, knowing exactly the pink haired girl was up to. "They could help out while we're in school."

"Haruka and Michiru will be returning this evening," Setsuna countered flatly, not liking this at all. She always felt like the bad guy in situations like this. She did wish Uranus and Neptune were there...at least one of them would be likely to back her up, hopefully Michiru. If Michiru, then Haruka knew better than to disagree, their leader though she may be. "Their credits have not transferred to Juuban High yet. They'll be free to help tomorrow."

Chibiusa pouted a bit, trying to think of another tactic. "Kagome, Inuyasha...these others...who are they?"

"Feh, you mean the bouzu, the punk kid and-"

"Sango," Kami finished, laughing a little at the description. "Your friends would be helpful if here. Besides, Setsuna-san, I am only learning my way around yet, and you have work yourself. Haruka-chan and Michiru-chan are very competent, but we can use all the help we can get. A houshi and a taiji-ya would be very useful, fighting with a youkai-daimon. Not many in this era know of how to deal with youkai. This...Sango?" she queried, and Kagome and Inuyasha nodded that she was correct, "This Sango may have knowledge of them, and the houshi-sama as well, if they are experienced fighters. Neither Haruka nor Michiru have background in these things. It would be wise to gain aid from those who know, Setsuna-san. Not that Inuyasha and Kagome do not know things, but Kagome, like everyone else, has school, and Inuyasha will be remaining with her during the daytime."

Eyes swiveled to Setsuna, who was looking down and seemed to be considering what Kami had just said. "You also said a 'punk kid'?" she asked after a moment, warily. "How many people would you be talking about?"

Kami clapped her hands together once, smiling as she remembered. It had been a long time for her, down the centuries. She remembered a little boy who played kemari with her at the riverside. "Ah! Shippou-kun! How is Shippou-kun? I remember him a bit better."

"He's fine," Kagome smiled. The little kitsune had moped about for days after they'd been unable to find any trace of Ukifune's ghost. "Just those three, Setsuna-san. And Kirara, too."

"Kirara?"

"Sango's youkai cat," came the reply, and the ears of the three cats on the table perked up a bit.

"Chibiusa has a point, Setsuna," Luna began after a moment. "Damage to the timestream would already be done. And as Kami said, knowledge could help us. We may be in a situation in which aid from the past may be necessary, if this Magus Karasu person is all that she claims."

"Besides," Artemis added after a moment, "there's the distortion to take into account. If there's been almost no warping, then we may be looking at a situation of predestination."

It was these two bits of advice Setsuna was considering most seriously. Over a thousand years of warning was bred into her blood. Taboo. It was taboo. When she was first given the Garnet Orb and the Timestaff, Queen Serenity had distinctly told her the three taboos of time travel.

First- _Never leave your post at the Doorway. _

Second-_ Never travel through time. _

Third-_ Never stop time. _

And she'd broken every one of them.

With a sigh, she stood, pushing back her chair at the table. "Come. There isn't enough room here."

"Room?"

She looked at the group, not knowing which voice had spoken. It could have been any of them, and it did not matter which. Finally, she closed her eyes.

"To summon your friends from the past."

~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~

Inuyasha stared at the thing. A golden colored bit of metal, with a prismic pink stone on the tip, the edges catching in the light a bit. No one other than a senshi? That meant a girl. And in theory? He glanced at Luna. "I'm not going to turn into a girl or some shit like that, am I?"

That elicited a couple giggles from some members of the gathered group. Rei snorted. "Hell no. Does this look like 'Ranma 1/2' to you? Just try it."

"What's a Ranma 1/2?" Inuyasha asked Kagome, bewildered and suspicious. Sometimes they refered to things he had no clue about...she had an unreadable expression on her face, something between embarassment and laughter.

"Don't worry about it, Inuyasha. Just try it, okay? It can't hurt."

He frowned, not liking this at all. "How?"

"Say, 'Moon Power' and then what you want to look like," Artemis glowered, still a bit miffed with Inuyasha for sniffing Luna. "That you want to look human."

"Fine," he growled, standing up and looking at the pink little jewel. "This is stupid. Moon Power. Make me look like a human."

White ribbons of light burst out of the gem, and since Inuyasha had been peering straight into the tip, the brightness hit his eyes. Startled, he dropped the thing, backing away and banging into the wall as he covered his face with his free hand, as though to beat away the light. But it was already too late. The white light faded away, and there were a couple of quickly muffled exclamations from the girls in the room.

"What the fucking hell was that?!"

Then he blinked. Why was everybody staring at him?

Rei suddenly whipped a mirror out of Pretty Space.

His hair was pulled into a thin little ponytail. He was in a pair of black, thigh high leather boots, hot pants and a black bra top with wings on the front. What was worst though, was when he realized he was actually filling out the bra top.

Inuyasha: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! runs from the room

"Oh yeah," Rei sighed, watching Inuyasha run off, "I almost forgot. There's gender bending in our show too."

Kagome: o.O;;;;

* * *

Terms of note:

shinboku- sacred trees at a shrine. Not to be confused with the _Go_shinboku, the specific tree Inuyasha was pinned to.

torii- entrance arch to a shrine

hime- princess. Due to all the various daiymo in the sengoku jidai, there were many women claiming the title then.

daiymo- a feudal warlord

kemari- kickball

Have fun with the omake? I keep finding lots of Ranma crossovers with Inuyasha, so I thought I'd take a stab at making a joke out of it. Turning Inuyasha into a Sailor Starlight...giggles

This chapter was a lot of fun to write, mainly due to all the jokes I could play with in here...Inuyasha goes into a car. Inuyasha sniffs the cats...Inuyasha eats pizza...hehe, Kagome helps Inuyasha eat pizza. ^_^ Sailor Venus is unleashed! Basically, I belong to the 'less is more' school of romance- I like little sweet things you can remember rather than just simple clinginess. A smile, a touch, a gesture...little things, more subtle, more enduring. If it's rare, it has all the more value, like a priceless little antique you discover buried somewhere....ah, I'm being silly now, don't mind me. ^.^

Overall, not much by way of notes today. This chapter basically just sets up the next one. And, next, what you've all been waiting for...drumrolls the rest of the Inuyasha-tachi making it to the present!

Til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 8: Forward-

A light slanted into his eyes, and he held up a hand to cover them. Shouts sounded up from the village; he wasn't the only one to see it. "Kaede! Miroku! Sango!" They were already on their feet by the time he shouted, running to the door and grabbing up weaponry as they headed out into the glowing light....


	9. Forward

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving._

_-Lao Tzu_

_(570-490 B.C.)_

Chapter 8- Forward

The floorboards creaked underfoot, Sango pacing the room slowly, a frown gracing her features as she moved, a hand placed thoughtfully against her chin. A small fire was crackling in the fire pit of Kaede's hut, and the elderly miko was kneeling before it, busy with her herbs. Miroku was sitting not far away, his shakujyou leaning against the wall by the door beside Sango's hiraikotsu, as he attempted to meditate, eyes closed and brow slightly knit, as though thinking as well. Shippou was the only one really making much noise, chomping idly on a lollipop Kagome had given him before she left the last time. The crunching sounds mixed with the popping of the fire, crackling in the empty air. Kirara was entertaining herself by swatting at the wrapper of Shippou's sucker.

It was unusual for Inuyasha to be gone for so long. Kagome, that was usual, but Inuyasha usually did not just disappear. At first they simply assumed he'd gone with her home. But for two days? That was out of the ordinary. They'd started searching a bit that morning, though Miroku sensed no trace of jaki, and not even Kirara picked up indicating scent of youkai. After a few hours, they'd decided to head back. There wasn't even a real threat present, and searching may be nothing more than pointless futility.

"I'm sure they've simply found a way to keep themselves occupied," Miroku commented, opening his eyes at last and watching Sango pause in her pacing. She shot him a look, lifting an eyebrow.

"You would think that," she retorted with a frown. Miroku shrugged, holding up his hands as though for peace.

"I wasn't insinuating anything. You're the one who suggested something untoward."

"You can't blame me, with the way you usually suggest things."

"I was merely saying what would be best for both of them."

"Houshi-dono, Sango," Kaede sighed, interrupting the small dispute, "Inuyasha and Kagome are likely fine. Had there been an accident or some other trouble, we would have heard of it by now. And if they found some difficulty in Kagome's world, they will deal with it as best they can. They have done so before," she finished, moving a bowl of herbs before her. A small mat lay at her knees, a bowl and pestle on it. She reached into one of the separate bowls, drawing out a handful of dried leaves, once green, now curled and black. She began to grind them, releasing a pungent, acrid odor that blended with the smell of woodsmoke from the fire. "It may be best for the rest of you to begin the search again on your own."

That earned a sigh from Sango, and Miroku closed his eyes again, returning to his meditations. There were times Kaede was glad she wasn't young anymore. When a furious Sango stormed back after their last search, she was correct to assume a handprint-marked houshi would be trailing in her wake a few minutes later. She was, of course, correct, Shippou riding on his shoulder and commenting on how Miroku should treat her better.

Sometimes it seemed the only sensible ones of the group were herself, the eldest, and Shippou, the youngest. Kaede sighed and continued to grind her herbs, faintly arthritic knuckles irritating her, crackling along with the crunching leaves.

Shippou stood, munching on the last of the lollipop, and walked over to the firepit, tossing the thin cardboard stick into the flames. "Inuyasha better not be in trouble again, or else it'll be a week before Kagome comes back!"

"If Inuyasha were in trouble, he would be here complaining, Shippou," Miroku told him sagely. "Not still there."

"Kaede is right," Sango sighed after a moment, considering what the older woman had said. Hopefully Miroku would be on good behavior for at least another day or so, after the incident that afternoon. "Tomorrow morning we should head out again, see if we can find something of our own. There's no rule saying that we have to have Inuyasha and Kagome-chan with us."

"I just hope nothing happened to the well," Shippou grumbled gloomily. He didn't like sticking around in one place, not without Kagome to talk to, or Inuyasha to bother. The village was fun, but only for a little while. Staying in the same place all the time was boring. Sometimes he'd wonder what kind of world Kagome lived in, for her to bring back so many strange things in her rucksack. He'd wonder if there were other kitsune there, and sometimes he'd wonder if he'd still be alive in that era. Kitsune could be long lived. It was possible. He glanced at Miroku, then Sango. Thinking that way, they'd both be dead, in Kagome's era.

He wasn't used to being the one to smell things first. But with Inuyasha gone, he frowned curiously, turning his head and trying to identify the source of the scent wafting in through the screened doorway of the hut. Kaede's herbs were masking everything, but this was laced with an unidentifiable scent. Nobody paid attention to him as they started in on discussing the best places to look in the morning. He pushed aside the bamboo drapery, peeking out into the grassy slope beyond the hut. A moment later, something brushed against his hand, mewling, and he saw Kirara. "You too?" he asked, and got a red eyed blink in response. Frowning, he petted the small, two tailed firecat, wondering what was going on.

A light slanted into his eyes, and he held up a hand to cover them. Shouts sounded up from the village; he wasn't the only one to see it. "Kaede! Miroku! Sango!" They were already on their feet by the time he shouted, running to the door and grabbing up weaponry as they headed out into the glowing light.

High above the village, a cloud had formed of lambent, cherry colored light, swirling in a spiral in the sky, ribbons of energy waving around the edges of it, spinning slowly. It did not darken out the sunset in the west, but blended into it, a spot of paleness against a radiant background of red and purple.

"I...don't sense anything evil from it...." Miroku was saying, his shakujyou upraised slightly. Kirara was merely tilting her head upward at the swirling display, making small curious sounds, though not alarmed. Fingers of light were glancing downward from the misty spiral, running their way along the paths of the village, scanning, passing over animals and through houses. One of these slipped its way across them, hovering and stopping as they lifted up hands to ward off the brilliance that began to pulse from it.

Kaede grasped the edge of the doorway as calm winds began to whirl around her. She braced herself stoutly, though released her grip when she realized what was happening. The cherry colored light was intensifying, and in it, the forms before her were disappearing.

***

"Ow!"

"Get off of me!"

"But I'm not-"

"Hentai!"

Smack.

A tangle of human, kitsune and felinioid bodies were attempting to sort themselves out in the courtyard of Hikawa Jinja, variously angry, injured and baffled, all trying to detach themselves from one another, where they had landed in an unceremonious heap of arms, hands, feet and legs. The pink swirl of cloud that had deposited them there was now spiraling away into the deepening of another sunset sky, in a very different place....

Sango was the first one to squirm her way out of the pile, determined to get out from under Miroku. Still on the ground, she backed away a bit, grabbing hiraikotsu as she looked wildly around, trying to get her bearings. It took her a moment to realize that someone was running straight at her, bending down and repeating, "Sango-chan? Sango-chan? It's okay. You're okay. I didn't know you were going to land in a heap...sorry, sorry! Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan! Kirara! It's all right!"

Kagome knelt down, quickly checking on everyone to make sure they weren't too disoriented. A few moments ago, she watched as Setsuna summoned her long staff, and the other senshi had winged themselves out from her, giving her space. The Time Guardian had lifted the scrolled end to the air, and the Garnet Orb had pulsed once, twice, and then a warm glow had suffused the air around it. Standing beside her, Inuyasha had watched, trying to feign disinterest in the ritual. On her other side, Chibiusa was murmuring something quietly, a charm, Kagome assumed. "_...split open the heavens, Father of the Guardian, Chronos, lead me onward, to the Road of Light...._"

Her words seemed to coincide with the formation of a spiral in the sky, a cherry colored circle of mist and cloud, rippling and then pulling aside, sending four figures tumbling down. Of them, only Kirara managed the feat of landing on her paws, and was able to clear the way for the clumsier humans and kitsune that tailed her.

"Kagome-chan," Sango finally managed, looking past her to see the assembly of senshi. Then her eyes fell on the very human looking Inuyasha, who had also stepped forward slightly. The presence of both of them was reassuring, but to see Inuyasha with black hair, and earless, before a crowd of people, Sango was alarmed. "Kagome-chan! Inuyasha! It's not...and they...who are they? What happened? What's wrong? Why is Inuyasha...it's not...."

"It's all right, Sango-chan! Don't worry! Miroku-sama, Shippou-chan!"

Miroku was sitting still, eyes wide and hands clutching the shakujyou tightly as he tried to figure out what had just happened. Shippou was half hiding behind him, head swiveling from Kagome to Inuyasha, then to the tall woman with the silver staff, just being lowered from the air. There was a breeze of wind, and he looked up in time to see the last of the preternatural clouds spiral away into nothingness.

"Oy, bouzu," Inuyasha called with a frown, snapping Miroku out of a mild state of shock. "You just going to sit there and stare?"

That was more than enough to snap him out of it, and he pushed himself upright, using the shakujyou as a balance. There was a cluster of young women around him, he noticed, all quite beautiful in their own ways, though one of them was clinging to a black haired young man. Three small cats were sitting in front of them, all curiously watching for his reaction. They had landed in a courtyard, tall shinboku trees rustling in the evening wind, and the distinct sloping shapes of rooftops, well made, and evidence of a shrine or temple. Though in the distance, he could hear a constant drone, unable to quite figure out what it was, occasionally punctuated by various strange, shrill honking sounds.

Miroku found himself to be a bit speechless.

"Kagome-sama...Inuyasha...what...?"

"You are in the world of your friend Kagome," the tallest of the women told him, holding a beautifully carved silver staff. "The other side of the well," she elaborated after a moment, and his eyes widened a bit at that.

"But we can't travel through the well...."

"You didn't travel through the well," a girl informed him, the smallest of the bunch and with fluffy pink hair in pigtails, a wry grin on her face. "Puu brought you here with the Timestaff. Different route, same destination."

"We've got a lot of explaining to do," said Kagome, lending Sango a hand to stand up.

"If this is the other side of the well, then is this your home?" Sango asked, looking around and taking in what surrounded her. Alien, strange, but also with a ring of familiarity. A shrine. That she knew how to handle. A jinja. A shrine. A familiar concept. Kagome's world. But who were all these people?

"No," one of the girls said, stepping around another tall girl with a ponytail. The speaker was wearing the white gi and red pants of a miko, and was smiling, hands open and spread apart in a gesture of welcome. "It's my home. Hikawa Jinja. You must be Sango then...."

"Y...yes...miko-sama?"

The girl blinked, and another one behind her, with blonde hair in pigtails, giggled, wrapping an arm around the tall man beside her. "Miko-sama? Rei-chan, don't make her call you that all the time!"

"Usagi-chan!" Rei steamed, turning to glare at the odangoed girl behind her. Irritated, she turned back to the bewildered Sango, and sighed. "Don't mind Usagi-chan. My name is Hino Rei. No 'miko-sama,' just Rei, okay?"

"Al..right," Sango agreed, looking over the cast of faces. "Kagome-chan...who...who are all these people?"

"The Sailor Senshi," Kagome replied, knowing that meant nothing to Sango.

Miroku heard that and asked, "Soldiers? They don't look like...."

"Oy! If you're going to say something about us being girls-"

"Mako-chan, calm down," another blonde consoled, placing a hand on the arm of the tall, ponytailed brunette. "We're already working with Inuyasha and Kagome. We don't need to get all riled up now. We've been there already, ne?"

Mako-chan glowered at Miroku for a moment, and he made a mental note to never hit on her. A whacking from Sango was bad enough. This girl looked like she wouldn't hesitate to turn him into a big red bloody pulp.

Shippou had edged his way forward during the discussion, and was looking from face to face in the group, trying to see who they were. Some smiled at his curiosity, others nodded in acknowledgment. One girl who gave him a small smile had short, straight hair and dark purple eyes. Behind her, another, older girl of similar appearance stood, though her hair was long and wavy. That one spoke, a shy smile on her face. "Konbanwa, Shippou-kun."

Shippou-_kun?_ Nobody ever called him Shippou-_kun_.

Though, once, a little ghost girl with lavender eyes had.

Shippou stared. "Ukifune?"

The shy smile broadened, and she bowed her head sheepishly, as though embarrassed. "Konbanwa," she repeated, affirming his guess.

"But you're dead!"

Several heads swiveled around, and a couple of the senshi snickered. "You got around, Kami-san...a lot...when you were dead."

Miroku and Sango had different reactions, both raising weaponry. The only experiences they had with the mercurial ghost child were not the entirely pleasant ones Shippou had been given. Their lifting weapons promptly resulted in the movement of the senshi, the smaller girl in front of Ukifune suddenly looking angry, and another girl with short blue hair positioning herself in front of both of them. She began to speak, arms out wide. "Please, Miroku-san, Sango-san, Shippou-chan...Kami-chan has been reborn into this era. She is not the yurei you once knew her as. She is with us, a Sailor Senshi."

"What is this Sailor Senshi thing you are all talking about?" Miroku asked, starting to feel frustrated. He kept himself calm, but suddenly being torn from one era and unceremoniously dumped into another was disconcerting, even to the most stoic of people, and to find someone who was possibly an enemy right before him, with friends, was starting to bother him. "Inuyasha! What is going on?"

"Put your shakujyou away, Miroku. Didn't think you'd get so freaked out over a little time travel."

Miroku glared at the hanyou, just as a flurry of black feathers and cawing erupted from the roof of the house beyond them. Several crows were chasing each other in the air, and Inuyasha suddenly snarled, "Youkai! There! The one the others are chasing away!"

"Kirara!" Sango called on impulse, alarmed, and the cat leapt up into her hands as the bird suddenly seemed to stretch, speeding up far more rapidly than the others and disappearing into the distance. The taiji-ya hesitated before throwing Kirara into the air, and several crows began to spiral their way down, two breaking off from the others.

Rei lifted her hands, and they fluttered closer as she called to them. "Phobos, Deimos!"

The two sleek crows settled around her, one on her hand, the other on her shoulder. There was a gracefulness to the way she summoned them to her, standing there and looking at them as they made harsh cawing sounds, quietly. After a moment, her violet eyes looked up, serious. "Miroku-san, Sango, Shippou...and Kirara," she told them, then glanced at the one she called Usagi a bit earlier. "We've been watched."

Usagi blinked once, her hand gripping the man's arm tightly for a moment.

"We'd better move inside then," he said, turning away. "No one here will hurt you, so long as you don't try to attack us first. We have a rather interesting enemy on our hands," he glanced to the sky meaningfully, then back to them.

"We called you here as friends," Usagi told them, the laughter in her face draining away and revealing someone much more serious suddenly. "We face an enemy that is both a youkai and something familiar to us, called a daimon. Come inside, your friends will vouch for any doubts you might have." The smile returned suddenly, and she winked at them, holding a finger to her lips as though it were a secret. "Welcome to the future."

* * *

Terms of note:

shakujyou- Miroku's houshi staff

hiraikotsu- Sango's giant boomerang

jaki- an evil aura

hentai- pervert/perversion

bozu- an insulting term for monk

yurei- a ghost

taiji-ya- youkai exterminator

It's short, it's short, I know, I know...but if I didn't end here, then the next chapter would be endless...it's longer, I promise! But the rest of the Inuyasha-tachi are there now...^_^ That's good, ne?

Also, I mentioned in over the course of the story- Sango and Miroku had somewhat unpleasant meetings with Kami/Ukifune before, which is why when Shippou recognizes her, they start to pull weapons, not knowing what was going on...besides the fact they were just unceremoniously plucked then deposited from one era to another. Disconcerting? Even for the unflappable. ^.~ Seeing a possible 'enemy' on top of it? Weapons anyone? Though I doubt they'd actually get through to her with an angry Sailor _Saturn_ standing before her 'sister.'

As for Kami using the affix '-kun' on Shippou- when they first met, Ukifune was wearing the guise of a little girl. Then it wouldn't seem as odd, since she's actually twenty. If you count her time as 'dead' she's probably around a thousand...but I digress. And guessing ages like that will make my head hurt, even if she is my own character. o.O;

So, til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 9: Bound-

In her desk lay several black silk ribbons. Their ends were cut at an angle, clean and sharp, and the one she selected fluttered as she brought it up to the light, watching the matte darkness absorb the low light. She set herself down at the chair, the wheels squealing in protest as she brought herself closer to the desk, slowly wrapping the ribbon around the waxen doll, wrapping it tighter and tighter around the figure....


	10. Bound

_Of This World And Yesterday_

_Take me with you on this journey_

_Where the boundaries of time are now tossed_

_In cathedrals of the forest_

_In the words of the tongues now lost._

_-Loreena McKennitt, Night Ride Across the Caucasus_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 9- Bound

Glass was shattered on the floor, pointed, sharp ends catching snippets of light, provided from the dull ceiling lamps above. Specimens of various creatures lay in fleshy masses on the floor, bits of chemical preservatives pooling around their motley forms, creating a ghastly odor in the air. Tables were cleared in the sweep of an arm, evidence of icy fury, myriad numbers of bottles and fluted glasses broken.

In the midst of the mess, Karasu sat.

Her desk was a shambles, though she had gathered her wits quickly enough to avoid smashing her precious poppets. There was no excusing the destruction of her art. Rage had settled itself into a more productive mode of thought, and she sat calmly in her chair, legs crossed and with her hands lightly trailing off the armrests, hanging into empty space as she looked forward with black eyes, picking out minute rainbow colors in a mixing of oil based solvents.

She'd predicted the magic of Dreamweaver. If she was Saturn's kin, then it was only logical she share certain modes of attack. A Silence Wall of her own. That was already in her plans, compensated for and instigated when she wished. A senshi would never let down her friends. Some bizarre rule they had, an honor code Karasu would occasionally contemplate. You die before you let your friends die. Pluto had no major defensive capabilities. Only Mercury, Saturn and now Weaver possessed that trait. Her hypothesis was tested and proven correct. So she'd been able to repulse the Shadow Buster. Karasu was, after all, not augmenting her powers yet.

It was the hanyou's action that had created the wave of rage. She hated having only part of a puzzle...pieces missing were leaving her picture incomplete. Ebony eyes flicked to the distant ring in the lab's center. Her reflective pool could only show so much of the past. If it was not in her own, personal memory...then it became piecemeal, fragmented, bits of the story weaving a tangled skein, the tapestry incomplete.

Five hundred years. Five hundred years, Shikon no Tama was silent. Until the Noh mask incident, and it sang for attention again.

She lifted a hand to her mouth, idly tapping a nail against her lip thoughtfully, eyes half lidded as she considered. In the past, of course, she'd heard rumors. Leaving Nihon was a choice- she had wings, and wanted to fly on them. But she could never leave completely. Something drew her back, a migration every several decades, circling further and further, only to return again home. Karasu remembered the youkai who scarred her when she arrived. Red kimono, white hair. And she'd left, seeing him pinned to that tree. No use killing one who was already dead.

But then something began to wander the countryside.

Quietly.

She was new to the game then, still learning of her powers and the adaptations she would have to make for her Vessel. Sometimes, a youkai would disappear. Suddenly. Rumors among youkai would circulate that there was one absorbing others...blending them and making them part of himself when he chose. Rumor whispered he changed form if he so desired, changing faces as well as shape. Weakened as she was, still learning, it was unlikely he would care for an ally, and if he merely absorbed youkai into himself...she was vulnerable, more than ever before. It was unlikely she could kill him.

Karasu was not stupid. Her impatience at Tau Ceti was a harsh lesson. Play for time, play for time, always play for time, wait for the chance, the opportunity. She secreted herself when he was near, and eventually fled across the sea when the mood seemed right.

And so she knew bits and pieces of the story of the Shikon no Tama.

Had she known the damn thing would resurface, she would have paid more attention to the stories of it. Would have watched and waited for it. Damn pool of hers couldn't see the future.

Which was fluid, of course. What happened in the past could be changed, by proper action in the future. For a moment, a smile curved her lips. Then it slipped away. The senshi faced the Black Moon family for a time. Invade the past by the future. Not so bad a plan. Though they had underestimated the senshi, not knowing their fullest potential. Pluto's arrival and stoppage of time had given the senshi the edge they needed to defeat Prince Diamond.

He had not had all the information on the senshi.

Karasu did not intend to make others mistakes.

She thought she knew of- and had compensated for- everyone's abilities.

If that were true, then _what the hell_ had that hanyou been powering up to do?

That sword. That massive sword. She replayed their first meeting over and over in her mind, watched it over and over in the pool. She had not been wrong; he did not have a sword before. His 'Sankontetsou' was powerful enough. But the magical energy he was powering up then was a considerable step up.

What had she missed?

Too many fragments in the tangled skein. It was unclear.

If she had missed the _vastly_ important sword, what else was missing from the portrait? Sometimes faces appeared, swimming in the torrent of years. And yet they faded away and blurred before she could distinguish who or what they were. Karasu did not like not having all the information.

Still.

How strong was the thing?

She frowned delicately, brows puckering slightly as she stood, smoothing her white lab coat and primly buttoning the top again, where it had come undone. Glass crunched and squealed underfoot as she crossed to her row of poppets on the wall, lifting her spectacles from their chain around her neck, and setting them critically on the bridge of her nose. One of the smaller wax figures gleamed in the dim lamplight, and she selected this one carefully, holding the tiny artwork and moving to one of the laboratory's small alcoves.

A box rested on a small table there. It was elaborately carved, obsidian and gold weaving a braided pattern on the sloping sides, a black diamond crescent decorating the top. A crooked handle jutted out the side, a glassy black handle ready to be turned. Sound no longer came from the old music box. One of Queen Nehelenia's minions had gutted it ages ago. To Karasu it was a priceless antique. Though what remained inside was even more precious.

She turned the crank, and there was a hollow noise from within it, the lid rattling open quietly, slowly opening to reveal a glossy reflection of Karasu's face. Mirrors lined the inside of the box, the top, the bottom, the sides, reflecting themselves and each other into infinity.

"Good evening, Lemures."

Chittering sounded from within the box's depths, and inside revealed a handful of small creatures, not much larger than a fist. There was nothing immediately threatening about the things; they resembled little dustballs, or maybe hairballs. Though on closer inspection, there in the darkness, slanted, vee-shaped eyes opened, faintly aglow in shades of crimson.

Lemures. Small, fairly insignificant creatures in appearance, but the cause of a great deal of difficulty for the senshi as they battled Queen Nehelenia of the Dead Moon. Lemures worm their way into one's thoughts, into one's dreams, slowly and steadily weaving nightmares, feeding off the anxiety and despair they create. Useful little things, Lemures.

Karasu lovingly set her precious poppet into the center of the box, and watched as the nightmare-givers slowly swarmed to it. The little figure stood defiantly a moment, before being devoured in the darkness. Here, from this distance, they would take longer to effect their target. Though here, from this distance, they were not in direct contact, and therefore undetectable.

Her reflection slipped into oblivion, and she caressed the black diamond moon on the lid.

A harsh cry interrupted her reverie, and she turned to watch an agitated Evermore flap his way though the laboratory, wildly circling in the air. Another frown creased Karasu's brows. Evermore could be histrionic at times, usually when he thought she was upset. She slipped her glasses off the bridge of her nose, letting them dangle around her neck as she moved to grab at her familiar. "Baka. Slow down. Make sense," she ordered as he settled onto her forearm, shaking his ragged wings and cawing rapidly.

Images flooded her mind, in the chaotic snapshots the bird projected. A jinja. Of course, either Hikawa or Higurashi. A line of people, mostly female. A man with black hair. Long black hair. Karasu's frown increased as she tried to make sense of the maelstrom of thoughts. Then a distorted image of Meioh Setsuna, her Timestaff in hand. Then a flurry of black feathers and a feeling of panic and fear, combined with a sharp pain.

Karasu pushed Evermore's wing back to reveal a small gash, made from the beak of a bird. "Ah, Evermore, you should be more careful next time you go spying. I'll clean you up in a moment. Now let's see if I can get anything clearer here. I don't like it when Pluto starts waving her staff around at things."

The water in the pool was still, and tiny lights reflected off the mirror's surface, evidence of the low lamps in the room. She watched, lips drawn finely as she waited for the shadows to merge and flow, drawing into shapes.

Cherry colored light pierced the surface, a pale reflection of the original brightness. Nevertheless, Karasu squinted against it, running a hand over the smoother feathers of Evermore's neck. The image he showed her of Pluto was clear there, eyes closed as she concentrated her powers.

The next scene made her fist clench in the scruff of her familiar's neck, sending him squawking out of her arms.

New arrivals.

She smacked the water, obliterating the scene.

"Meioh Setsuna, Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time and Space, Soldier of Revolution...you are becoming a serious pain in my ass."

New arrivals. Four figures all together, one obviously a youkai cat. One of the others may have had a tail. She didn't really care. Youkai. And that meant from the past. Likely companions of the other two, the hanyou and the budding miko.

She was deathly calm.

Now she had not one, but possibly four renegade magicks in her plans? One looked like a kid, much too small. Therefore not strong. She eliminated that one. The other two, however, were adults, and hence a threat.

"No more friends from the past, Pretty Soldier Sailor Pluto."

There was a line of poppets before her, one in a sailor fuku of black and garnet, an elegant giant key in her hands. She snatched it from the line, gripping it tightly.

In her desk lay several black silk ribbons. Their ends were cut at an angle, clean and sharp, and the one she selected fluttered as she brought it up to the light, watching the matte darkness absorb the low light. She set herself down at the chair, the wheels squealing in protest as she brought herself closer to the desk, slowly wrapping the ribbon around the waxen doll, wrapping it tighter and tighter around the figure.

As she did this, a dim darkness cut its way around the edges of the ribbon, charging it with energy. The ribbon grew tighter, more constricting, binding.

_Binding...._

Binding until the waxen arms crushed under the tension, smashing the Timestaff and Garnet Orb into the poppet's body, cutting into its mock flesh.

Dizziness began to wash over the witch, hedging at her vision as her magic began to infuse the black silk.

"No more friends to interrupt things."

And she slipped into the darkness of her own mind.

* * *

"...and so we decided to summon you here," Artemis finished saying, sitting back on his haunches as he finished addressing the new arrivals. Each was wide eyed, looking a bit overwhelmed, even though they were accustomed to strange things happening. Cats talking was one of the least of the surprises.

They'd made it inside just as Grandpa Hino arrived home, calling out for Rei. Quickly stuffing everyone inside her room, she helped get the groceries unpacked, and felt endlessly grateful that Grandpa wanted to rest and watch tv after shopping. Hearing talking and hushed chatter from the other room, he laughed and told her to go spend time with her friends, and to be sure to study for any upcoming tests.

Rei was very glad the other senshi came over often enough to make it expected.

Her room was not small, but taking in the quickly growing number of people, everyone was wedged into the space a bit tightly, hemmed into the walls, though Chibiusa and the cats had taken up residence on Rei's bed. Sango, Miroku and Shippou had subconsciously stuck closer to Kagome and Inuyasha, forming a small knot distinguishing one group from another. Sango had stuck herself firmly next to Miroku, taking the outside seat. After all, she reasoned, there were several pretty girls in the room, and the last thing she wanted was for him to try grabbing at one of the younger ones. If time travel was an everyday occurrence to them, then what else could they do? That was logic, of course.

Cats talking was a bit of a surprise, and that began a round of explaining. Sango had relaxed after the first couple minutes of listening to them, letting her hand slide slowly down from hiraikotsu as the events of the last couple days were related to them. A youkai, who claimed to be something called a 'Magus' of another something called a 'Death Busters.' There was so much to remember. So many people. Sailor Senshi, their names floating around the room in muted introductions.

Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Kamen, Sailor Chibimoon, Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Venus, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Pluto...and then the strangest member of all, Sailor Dreamweaver, a reborn ghost once named Ukifune, posing as Saturn's sister. Sango hadn't gotten a clear view of Ukifune before they left her old mansion, not the way Inuyasha had, or even the distorted and altered version Miroku and Kagome had seen. Looking at the floor before her, she could see Shippou regularly glancing at the older girl, sitting perched on a strange looking chair with wheels, at a desk with a boxy thing sitting on top of it, and some books beside that. Saturn, Tomoe Hotaru, leaned partially against the desk beside her, hands folded and calmly watchful. There was an eeriness about the two of them, something submerged, but distinctly powerful. She wanted to talk to the others, to see what they thought personally of these strange senshi people.

From the floor, the taiji-ya watched as the smallest of the three cats, Diana, occasionally turned and whispered conspiratorially to Kirara. Sango knew her feline friend was intelligent, and the three cats seemed a bit disappointed when they discovered she could not talk. Despite that, the little one was speaking to her as though she could reply, earning a blink and occasionally a mew in return. Sango wondered if Kirara was actually able to communicate with them somehow. Strange.

The black cat, Luna, was taking her turn talking, "This Karasu woman is both daimon and youkai, somehow. Bringing people forward from the past is not a usual thing, since it can alter what has already happened."

"The future is fluid," came the comment from the woman with deep green hair. Setsuna, the one with the Timestaff, Sango remembered, blinking and watching her as she stood in the room's corner. Light pressed in through the window, casting a checkerboard of light on the ground beside her. "And in a way, so is the past. Chibiusa's coming here from many centuries in the future altered the way things occurred. Kami's arrival and rebirth also sent ripples through time."

Miroku stirred, warily glancing at the two black haired senshi seated at the desk. There was an aura around them, not necessarily evil, but somehow destructive, deathly, and it gave him reason to be alert. Ukifune was dangerous in the past, and so he would be wary of her now, disrupted by shikon no kakera or not. The nightmare of the kazaana devouring both himself and Sango was not an experience he wanted to go through in real life. "And so you want us to help you?"

That earned a look of acknowledgment from Setsuna, a slight bow of the head.

"We think she's after the Shikon no Tama," Kagome said simply, sighing. "But I don't know. Something just doesn't fit right. She said something about us not being relevant at school today. That doesn't really sound right. She would have come straight after me if that's what she was after. But she spent a lot of time just wandering around and trying to collect Hoste instead."

"And we stopped her from that," Inuyasha snorted. "But if she wasn't after the tama, why would she show up at your school?"

Kagome sighed, closing her eyes and conceding the point. "I know...."

"Well...um..." Shippou began uncertainly, looking around at everyone else. "Why does she need people's souls anyway? Is she trying to stay alive or something? She's not using Shinidama-chuu or anything if that's what she's after."

"We don't know yet, Shippou-kun," Kami told him quietly, earning her a nervous, wide eyed look from the kitsune. "The Death Busters were gathering them to open a gateway for their leader, Pharaoh 90. Karasu seems to be working on her own."

"But she's got a bunch of youkai-daimon working for her," Minako added with a frown. "I want to know where she's getting them from. Youkai aren't exactly common these days, and daimon need to merge with a Vessel. Usually a human, but that one time when we first met with Hotaru-chan," she waved a hand at the short haired girl, "it was a little tabby cat off the street. She'd have to be getting them from somewhere. What, does she have a zoo full of youkai just sitting around or something?"

Minako was looking around, hoping for someone to answer her, but all she got in reply were shrugs and a couple sets of averted eyes. After a moment, Sango cleared her throat tentatively, thinking of how the taiji-ya often made weaponry out of youkai bones, scales and hide. "Ah...would the Vessel have to be alive, to merge with it?"

Several blinks, and then everyone looked at Ami, who was already thinking about the suggestion. "Define 'alive'?" she asked after a moment.

Sango looked taken aback. There was more than one way to be alive? Then she considered various ways people could be back from the dead, current company not excluded. "Well, alive...not dead, or ressurected...normal alive."

The blue haired girl's lips pursed, and she lifted a hand to her lips in thought, eyes searching the floor rapidly as she thought. "I'm not sure. Alive, yes. But if she had tissue samples with living cells, then it may be possible for the daimon to form a whole new Vessel off the genetic codes remaining in the DNA of the cells."

"Huh?"

That came from several people, most of the Inuyasha-tachi, as well as a couple of the senshi. The time travelers from the past felt relieved they weren't the only ones not to get all that. "Ami-chan," asked Usagi, "what?"

"Like a template, Usako," Mamoru told her, then also added the others in the explanation, seeing the bewildered looks. "DNA is what makes us look the way we do, determines what our hair and eye color are, for instance. The daimon would read that information from the cell, and use that to form a new body."

Usagi was nodding, understanding, but Mamoru had lost the newcomers. Slowly, Shippou realized how uncomfortable they were, and none really wanted to ask the inevitable question. "Um...Kagome? What's a cell?"

The girl sighed, reminding herself that they didn't even have a basic grasp of biology. "It's...a small thing...and it makes up you. Everything. Little tiny things that work together to make you alive. Everything has cells. It's something we learn about it Biology class in school. I can show you my book when we get home."

"Speaking of which, where is everybody going to stay?" Makoto asked, coming up onto her knees and folding her arms, laying them on top of the bed as she looked around the room. "If that Karasu woman is watching us, she knows that you guys are here."

"Well, you can all stay at my house," Kagome said, as though the answer were obvious. They were her friends. Mama would love to meet them all.

"Feh. If she's watching us, she'd be able to watch even more of us if we're all in one place," Inuyasha told her with a frown.

There were a couple of nervous looks among the senshi, as though some seemed to already have guessed that. "Inuyasha is right," Luna agreed, leaping down from off the bed. "It may be best to separate."

"Is that a good idea?" Sango asked, startled. "We just arrived here...we barely know each other...."

Kagome unfolded her legs from under her, slowly standing up from where she was wedged next to Inuyasha. "We'll keep in contact, through the phone. And we'll see you tomorrow. Oh, you'll need some clothes, all three of you. And what will we do with Kirara? Two tailed cats don't usually walk around Tokyo every day...and Shippou, your tail and ears...we'll have to find a way to...."

"I can just turn into a human," Shippou scoffed, mustering a bit of pride before the strangers. "I can make myself look however I want."

"Feh! And usually with a nice poofy tail!"

"Oy! I can so!" he shouted back at the hanyou, hands turning into little fists.

"Oh, but Shippou-kun, your tail is so cute," Kami told him with a smile, resting her hands on her knees and leaning forward with a smile. The kitsune half leapt backward, then began to flush pink.

"Aw, it is adorable," Makoto laughed, teasing, resting a hand on her cheek and winking at the embarrassed kit. "I like the tail too."

"I am not cute," he huffed, plopping down and folding his arms stoutly. "I'm not."

"Oh, come on," Minako soothed, waving a hand at the little argument. "We'll figure things out tomorrow, ne?"

"You're all welcome at our home, right, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked as she stood up, smoothing her pleated skirt. Her reply was a shrug as Setsuna moved off the wall, wincing suddenly as she did so, a sharp pain lancing through her head.

"Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked curiously, seeing her start.

"No...it's fine..." a weak laugh came from Setsuna, and she rubbed her temple a moment as the pain faded. "I'm fine."

Uncertainly, Hotaru continued, "We...we could fit a couple more, even if Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama are returning tonight. We've got the couch, and the sleeping bag I use when I go to Chibiusa's sometimes."

"I would be honored to stay at the home of such lovely-" Miroku began, but ended in a yelp of pain when Sango whacked him in the head. She'd been waiting for that. "Ow! I was merely accepting the kind offer of a roof-"

"You are not staying in a house with a bunch of girls in the middle of the night, houshi-sama," she glared, almost glad for the usual routine to kick in. A sense of familiarity was reassuring in this strange place.

Kami was laughing, a hand pressed to her mouth, though most of the senshi looked confused as to the source of her merriment, and the despairing looks on the faces of the other time travelers.

Minako, for the second time that evening, began to get a devilish look on her face. She was having entirely too much fun picking out the pairings in the group. The Sailor Suited Pretty Soldier of Love was going to have to be one busy girl...well, nothing like setting up friends amid crazed demon attacks to liven up her day.

"I'll take him then," Mamoru offered after a moment, looking at the injured houshi. "My apartment's big enough."

"Sango-san?" Hotaru asked the taiji-ya, a question on her face. "You're welcome to stay with us, if you wish."

She was still looking a bit irritated, but sighed and stood herself up at the offer, nodding. "Yes...Kirara?" The youkai cat turned away from some sort of consultation with Diana, and leapt over to Sango, landing in her outstretched arms. She sent a wary glance at Kami, who returned her gaze evenly. The senshi's lavender eyes were steady, even, watchful, and after a moment, Sango gave her a small smile, breaking a bit of the tension.

"I'm sure we can squeeze in Shippou," Kagome said, coming to stand next to the kitsune, who was slowly edging his way closer to the two sisters again. When he didn't respond, she bent down a bit, puzzled. "Right, Shippou-chan?"

"What? Oh. Uh...sure," he agreed after a moment, backing away and turning to face Kagome as she picked him up.

"Well, that settles that...." Usagi sighed as she looked at the various people in the room. Quite an oddball group, that was for sure. "We can meet at the Fruit Parlor, tomorrow? After everybody's out of school and has modern clothes and everything?"

There was a general sound of agreement from the senshi, and Kagome quickly explained that a 'Fruit Parlor' was a place to eat, a restaurant. That seemed like a good enough explanation to them, and there were more nods. "Okay...then...well...Ami-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Um...we have a math test coming up...and...um...with the new enemy...."

"You are still studying, Tsukino Usagi!" Rei snapped, hands on hips. "Do you want to fail math and history?"

"Rei-chan!" Usagi shouted, irritated. "I was going to ask if we were still going to meet, since I don't want to flunk math and history! Not say we shouldn't! Baka!"

"Good. You need to study more!"

"Ugh...I've got a math test coming up too," Kagome moaned, checking the clock on Rei's bedstand. With all the talking, it was running late. And this had been one long day. Weariness was beginning to settle in, and the prospect of spending most of tomorrow pouring over math texts was not promising.

"Then you can join us, Kagome-chan!" Usagi cheered with a grin. "We'll meet up with Mamo-chan and the others at the Crown afterwards?"

"I..." she started, a little surprised as the enthusiasm the odangoed girl was showing. Rei had an unreadable expression on her face, and glanced at Chibiusa, who shrugged. Usagi was studying. Willfully. Amazing.

"I still have my notes from last year," Ami told the younger girl with a shy smile. "It wouldn't be difficult to dig them out again. I can help if you need some tutoring."

"That...that would be great...." Kagome stuttered, barely believing her luck. Someone who kept their notes from the previous year? How rare was that?

"Right now, get some rest," the blue haired girl warned, holding up a finger cautiously. "Having your Hoste stolen is no small thing. Get some sleep tonight. You can get caught up tomorrow."

"But I need to study- I'm already behind in most of my classes-"

That earned a chuckle from most of the Inner Senshi. "Kagome, you keep that up, you'll turn into Ami-chan," Minako warned laughingly. "Don't worry, Ami's gotten Usagi through her classes for years now. Someone who actually wants to work can't be worse than that!"

Usagi sniffled in mock agony. "Minako-chan. You're as mean as Rei-chan."

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" the miko shouted, bearing down on the future Princess of the Moon.

"Ah, Rei-chan, Usagi-chan, can we not fight in front of the people from the past who think we're weird enough already?" Makoto suggested dryly, pointing at the staring newcomers. "Bickering isn't exactly making a great impression on our guests."

After a few more minutes of arranging themselves, the various groups parted ways. Kagome and Inuyasha decided to head back on their own, Shippou clinging to Kagome's shoulder as the hanyou took off, the newfound night cloaking them out of sight. Miroku slipped into the front seat beside Mamoru in his car, while Usagi and Chibiusa argued over who would ride next to Mamoru. Both lost, and Miroku found that car rides are not fun with an arguing future mother and daughter in the back seat, even with their guardian cats trying pointlessly to quiet them down. There was a great deal of squishing in the back of Setsuna's car, trying to wedge hiraikotsu in the back, it being shaped too oddly to fit into the small trunk. Setsuna, Kami, Hotaru, Sango and Kirara finally managed to get themselves in along with the weapon, and drove off back to the Outers home.

"I'll be glad when Haruka-san and Michiru-san are back," Rei sighed after a moment, glancing at Minako, Makoto and Ami, who were standing beside her at the steps leading up to her jinja. "We're not at full force until they are."

"I think things'll work out," Minako added, heading down the first steps. "We've never had to get help before, but they seem like they know what they're doing. Considering the time displacement thing and all."

Makoto cracked her knuckles, a nervous habit as well as a sign she was angry. "Something about it all stinks. Like Kagome said, why not attack her right away if she's after their Shikon no Tama thing?"

"We will have to wait and see, Mako-chan," Ami told her as she headed down after Minako. "If Karasu is after something else...."

"We'll beat her, the way we beat everyone else against us."

* * *

Terms of note:

Shinidama-chuu- Kikyou's soul collecting insects

Hope you had some fun this time 'round...Karasu is up to some tricks again. And nope, she doesn't know _everything_ about the search for the Shikon no Tama...if she did...then there'd be no story. She'd know exactly what to do, and then...well, we'd skip all the fun stuff over the next couple days...and I'm assuming you _want _to see Sango play video games, and Miroku get jealous, and Inuyasha do homework and...oops, am I giving spoilers? Oh hohohoho!

Let me play with how much she knows, okay? ^.^ I know it's more likely she'd know everything via that pool of hers...but then where does the fun go? We'd skip straight to the last day- do not pass Go or collect $200.

Okay, the logical stuff of this Author's Ramblings! Lemures are the creatures that Queen Nehelenia of the Dead Moon used during the SS arc of the Sailormoon manga. In the anime version, they are, yet again, the Underdressed Female Youma Of The Week, same as the daimon. Manga version, they look like evil, demented hairballs from hell. And they give nightmares. Much more subtle than the Underdressed Female Youma Of The Week. As for who she's using them on...anyone want to take a guess? Email and I'll let you know if you're right or not. ^.~

And I wanted to use this chapter to send a few arigatou-s out to those who have been reviewing almost every chapter! This is the first fic I've got that's hit 100 reviews!! So thanks to: Stormie, Rita, Kylara, usagipegasus, Waku-chan, Calendar, poyozodance, Pokey, Lady Inu-Yasha and Jezunya. And of course Elemental and Ambre, who review everything for me. ^.~ Special thanks for sticking with me for so long. Sango-sama, I hope you have more fun with the fic now that Sango and Miroku are around. I've got a lot in store for them. insert maniacal laughter Mina-chan, try to review number 108 instead or something...I know you were crushed you missed 88. :(

To all of you: Thank you so much for the kind reviews. Especially since this started out just as a product of my dementia over these two animes. I really do appriciate your comments. Please keep them coming! ^_~

Til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 10: Shadowed-

The image of that Karasu woman standing over her body, the crystaline soul of Kagome in her hands...bent over an unconscious body, with human black eyes in the face of a youkai that reeked of bird, of raven. A raven youkai...with human eyes...holding a glowing crystal soul....


	11. Shadowed

_Of This World and Yesterday_

_I'm so tired, but I can't sleep_

_Standing on the edge of something much too deep...._

_-Sarah McLachlan, I Will Remember You_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 10- Shadowed

Setsuna padded silently into the living room, her heels removed and replaced with fuzzy yellow slippers, her suit exchanged for a navy tank top and grey sweatpants, a rather extreme change of clothing for the usually impeccably dressed Soldier of Time. In her hands, she held a cup of green tea, the cool surface catching the light of the lamps on the ceiling fan, white and glimmering inside the house of the Outer Senshi. For a moment, she stood in beside the arching entranceway between hall and room, sipping her tea and looking at the tall weapon with calculating garnet eyes.

Sango's hiraikotsu leaned against the white wall, and Setsuna was trying to figure out what to do with it. It was much too large to carry in modern day Tokyo. Even a hundred years earlier, it would have been a bit conspicuous, though perhaps not nearly so much. Then, maybe it would be passable on the street...odd looks, maybe, but passable. Tokyo in this day and age? Definitely not. There had to be a way to hide it or disguise it.

She was interrupted from her considerations when the sound of water ceased. Looking up from her tea, she stared at the ceiling for a moment, realizing that Sango must have finished her shower. Water had been coursing through the pipes for several minutes, following an explanation of a bathroom and how to use it. They'd been through it with Kami before, and with another time-displaced person on hand, it made it a good deal easier to explain, despite Kami's rather quaint ways of telling her how to do things. But it got the point across well enough.

No phone calls. Nothing on the message recorder, other than the insurance company about her car. Haruka and Michiru were still not back from Vienna, and that was troubling. Returning home, the three senshi expected to see the familiar mounds of Michiru's luggage in the hallway, and the two of them squabbling lightly about how much the aqua haired violinist could take with her on a trip.

"Are you feeling well, Setsuna-san?" a soft voice asked, and she saw Kami emerge silently from the shadows of the hallway, some books in hand, folded so that Setsuna could not see the covers. Kami, too, was prepared for sleep, barefoot and with her hair out of its loops, plaited, now wearing green silk pajamas. "What is it?"

Setsuna sipped her tea again, then cast a worried glance at the giant boomerang. "I'm trying to decide what to do with it. It's much too conspicuous."

"I've been thinking about that too," Kami nodded, reaching out and carefully running a hand over the smooth side of hiraikotsu. "We could barely fit in the car with it, much less take it with us into the city." Her hand grew still as she reached the sharper side of the weapon, withdrawing after a moment. "My memories of them are still somewhat clouded. But this is Sango's primary weapon. It would not be good to take it from her. Too useful."

"Yes," Setsuna agreed, watching the other woman draw back a bit, eyes soft and slightly sad. Curiosity did not usually press itself in Setsuna, but she felt the need to be clearer on what happened in the sengoku jidai. Guardian of the Timegate she may be, but she was hardly omnipotent. "Kami-san, what did happen, when you met with them before?"

Kami's small hands tightened on her books a bit, and she looked down at the deep carpet, closing her eyes and drawing breath. "Two of the shikon no kakera landed at my old home. Where my memorial was. Everything has four souls, and when those four souls are balanced, all things in one person are in harmony. But the shards that landed were corrupt, and as a yurei, I could not balance them well," Kami glanced at Setsuna, the older woman with an impassive face. After a moment, she continued, "It was as though there were two of me. One good, one ill. It was the first time my power as a senshi was made manifest, and I began to slip into dreams."

"You attacked them?"

Kami turned a deep shade of red, squeezing her eyes shut. "Yes. It was an unpleasant thing. I could watch from inside myself, but I could not help much."

There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs, softly falling, and Sango appeared at the base holding a pillow, Hotaru behind her carrying several blankets. The two of them were watching Kami's explanation, Sango surprised, Hotaru white faced. There was a mewling sound, and Kirara's ears perked up from where she rode on Sango's shoulder. The taiji-ya still had wet hair, bound up in a loose bun atop her head, several tendrils falling around her shoulders. Setsuna had lent her a white terry cloth robe, and in the shadows of the hallway, she dimly glowed as she walked forward. "We knew it wasn't really you, Kami-san...I'm sorry, but seeing you here was disconcerting."

"I don't blame you for being frightened," Kami sighed, hugging her books closer to her chest as Sango and Hotaru approached. Hotaru was also dressed for sleep, an oversized blue tee-shirt serving duty as a nightgown, loosely hanging on her thin frame. "Please forgive me, taiji-ya-san."

"It's alright, Kami-san," Sango told her evenly, seeing signs of guilt and misery on Kami's face. "The Shikon no Tama has a very negative effect on people who use them. It came into your possession by accident, didn't it?" When Kami nodded, Sango continued, "Then the results are not really your fault. You or not you, people change under the influence of the tama. That's what makes it so dangerous."

Kami nodded, lips drawn thin. "I only remember some of what happened then. I hope the experiences were not too bad."

"We survived," Sango replied, thinking back to that time, and the dreams they were given. The removal of the shikon no kakera from Kohaku's back, catching him as he fell. Houshi-sama, standing there...she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head sharply to clear it from memories. Another memory of that time overlapped that thought, and she fought a blush, biting her lip. Houshi-sama could be such an idiot sometimes. Perhaps, had one of the Inners been present, they would have noticed the flush on her cheeks, but this was, of course, the home of the Outer Senshi, and noticing blushes was not quite the norm. "You held back that evil half of yourself, and lifted that wall around you for Inuyasha to destroy it. You fought back against it, Kami-san, and we know that. It wasn't very long ago we left your mansion, but we...we're all right now."

"Thank you..." Kami breathed, feeling a bit better for the forgiveness.

"Setsuna-mama, onee-san?" Hotaru finally queried, shyly edging her way into the living room with her blankets. She was glad to change the subject, and Sango's forgiving words relieved her. Part of her wanted to know more about what happened to her sister so many centuries ago. Much of who Kami was remained a mystery in ways. They knew how she died, but not so much about how she lived. Though this story...this story frightened Hotaru in a way.

Two people, sharing one spirit, living off each other, one surfacing and attacking innocent people or friends. She suppressed a shudder, reminding herself that Mistress 9 was gone._ Gone_.

She refused to talk about her any more. Hotaru wanted to forget. It happened, it was the past. Gone away...far away...Papa....

Hotaru sealed away the thoughts, returning to the present as everyone waited for her to continue. "Setsuna-mama, onee-san? I was showing Sango-san where to sleep...the couch, right?"

"Yes," Setsuna replied, backing away and balancing her empty teacup. "Is that all right with you, Sango-san? It's comfortable."

"I'm used to sleeping just about anywhere...even this...carpet..." she stumbled over the word uncertainly, "is softer than the ground. No futon here?"

"No. Just Western style beds."

"They take a bit of getting used to," Kami chimed in, a small smile beginning to form on her face as she relaxed, thinking of the first time she'd been introduced to a foreign bed. It was so high from the ground! She was afraid she'd fall off it in her sleep. "But you do get used to them."

"We'd give you Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama's bed for tonight, but we don't know when they'll be back...they're already late," Hotaru told Sango worriedly. "Their plane should have been back hours ago...maybe we should try to raise them on the communicator, Setsuna-mama."

Setsuna set her teacup down on the end table, empty. "The range is too narrow to call Vienna. They'll call when they get back, I'm sure, but until then we should try to-"

As if on cue, the phone rang, and Sango nearly leapt out of her skin at the clanging noise, Kirara leaping out onto the floor and hissing, spinning wildly as she searched for the source of the sound. "No, No, taji-ya-san," Kami tried to calm as Hotaru dropped her blankets on the couch and knelt beside Kirara, making soothing noises to the agitated cat. "It's the phone. People can talk over very long ways with it. It's harmless, I promise."

Again it rang, and Setsuna hurried from the room. A moment later, the ring cut off abruptly, and they heard her voice saying, "Hello? Haruka! What- you're where? Why?" the conversation became muted as Setsuna lowered her voice to a more normal speech pattern, her murmurings not quite carrying to the other room.

"They're not in Japan," Hotaru realized as she stood up, tentatively holding a calmer Kirara. After a moment, the firecat allowed herself to be petted, at Hotaru smiled faintly as the cat purred. Then she frowned again, turning her head towards Setsuna's voice. "I don't like this. It stinks of planning."

"You think this Karasu person could keep your other step-parents from returning?" Sango asked her, a little puzzled. "What is this plane thing you said they were coming on as well? Is that a ship?"

"An airplane," Hotaru explained. "It's...well, you saw our car, right? Planes are a lot larger, and they have metal wings. People fly inside them, very fast, from one place to another. We can show you Vienna on a map, if you'd like, and where we are from there. It's pretty far away."

"Oh..." Sango managed as there was a click from the other room, and a poker-faced Setsuna returned, announcing what she had just been told.

"They're in Rome. Waylaid by an electrical storm. This is very convenient for our friend Karasu."

"That's what Hotaru just said," Sango informed her, sitting down on the edge of the couch, and running a hand over the smooth upholstery, sakura patterned and elegant. Whoever decorated the house had exquisite taste, and even a time-displaced taiji-ya could see that. "Wouldn't she have to know who and where they were though, to use magic to slow them down?"

Kami sucked in her breath sharply, and Hotaru stopped petting Kirara at that suggestion.

"There is no reason to panic yet," Setsuna told them firmly, looking from one to another. "We don't have any evidence of that, not yet. Coincidental, yes. Bad news, yes. But not devastating. We can fight without Uranus and Neptune if necessary."

"That reminds me...Setsuna-san, Kami-san, Hotaru-chan...it doesn't seem natural for people to walk about with weaponry in your era..." Sango glanced at hiraikotsu against the wall. Behind it, her sheathed sword lay balanced against the wall, ready. "I can probably sneak Kirara around with me somehow, but I don't want to walk around without any weapons. Even my short sword would be better than nothing. Is there a way to conceal them? Either of them?"

"We were just talking about that, actually," Setsuna sighed, once again returning her attention to the boomerang. "The best way is to hide it in a temporal warp pocket, the way the others and I keep our Talismans."

"Talismans?" Sango began, then waved her hand as she thought of something. "Your weapons. The place you sent it back to, making it invisible you mean? The large key I saw earlier today? You two have them as well?"

"I have a Glaive, and onee-san a naginata. Haruka-papa has the Space Sword, Michiru-mama the Deep Aqua Mirror. A dimensional pocket would probably work...Setsuna-mama can probably figure out how to do that."

"It will take some work, but I think I can manage it," she allowed carefully, trying to think of the proper blend of magic and physics required to generate something like that. For a senshi, it came directly from the power of their planet, generated naturally. The concept was familiar, but to create a false pocket warp would take some doing. "What to hide it in, though?"

"I've been thinking about that," Kami winked, holding up the books in her hands and turning them around. The title proudly displayed, "_Magic Knight Rayearth_" in scripted font on the cover, where three girls were dramatically posing. "Usagi-sama's birthday gift is very addicting! But the Magic Knights use these things here," she opened the book to show Setsuna, then Sango, "these glove jewels. What about a bracelet, with a gem?"

Setsuna was nodding, slowly, then more firmly as she considered it. "Perhaps a verbal link to summoning the weapon as well? Same as a henshin sequence?"

"We can borrow something of Michiru's. She doesn't take _everything _with her."

The three glanced at Sango, who was blinking up at them from where she sat. "Ah...well...I suppose that sounds all right..." she managed, not really following everything, but getting the general idea.

"Setsuna-san," Kami interjected thoughtfully. "If it is all right with the taji-ya-san, may I help with the making of the pocket dimension?" she turned lavender eyes to Sango. "I'd feel better about it, if the power behind it came from me. To apologize and compensate for before."

"That's...fine," Sango agreed, a bit startled. But she supposed it would make a final gesture of friendship between the two groups, sealing a fissure created by Kami's presence and past.

Setsuna picked up her teacup to take to the kitchen, saying, "Fine, then. I'll show you what you need to do. First lets rummage through Michiru's jewelry box and see what we can find."

"I think she left her one bracelet with the white opal," Hotaru suggested, returning Kirara to the taiji-ya and yawning.

"Hotaru-chan, you'd better get to bed," Setsuna warned her. "School is early tomorrow, you don't want to oversleep."

"Yes, Setsuna-mama," the girl sighed, running a hand through her short, straight hair. School tomorrow, as always. "Let me help Sango-san get her things laid out, and I'll head up."

"Good night, taiji-ya-san," Kami bowed, the long braid of her hair flopping over her shoulder as she did so. "Good night, Hotaru-chan."

"'Night...."

It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

* * *

The room was dimly lit for sleep, and Kagome blearily opened one eye to see the ceiling and the glass covered light. Sleep was eluding her, too many thoughts swirling around in her head at once, milling over the events of the day. Lightly, she touched her chest, a faint burning sensation still lingering there, the place where the crystal of her soul had emerged. Before, when Urasue had removed it from her, it had been nebulous and large; somehow Karasu had compacted that aura into something small and gleaming. Same idea, different result from different magic.

Quietly, Kagome turned her head to the side, seeing Shippou down by her waist. The kitsune had a small blanket half over him, his arms splayed to the sides and his mouth wide open as he dreamed away, comfortable with Kagome's familiar presence. Carefully, not to disturb him, she pulled back the covers of her bed, slipping onto the carpet with cool bare feet. She rubbed sleep from her eyes with a knuckle, suppressing a yawn as she checked the clock. Just past midnight. The house was still, no sounds of anyone moving about.

She slid open the window, leaning outside and feeling the wind brush against her shoulders, whisking the drapes aside so that they floated in the breeze. Poking her head out the window, Kagome's hair trailed as she twisted around to tip upward, seeing only the slope of the roof above. "Inuyasha?" she whispered quietly, hoping the hanyou's hearing would pick up her words. "Hey, Inuyasha...Inuyasha?"

A moment later, a dark haired head poked itself over the ledge, blinking wide eyed at the girl. An annoyed look crossed his face for a moment, and he leapt down, grabbing her outstretched hand and pulling her up to him. "Kagome, you're going to fall out if you do that."

"You'd hear me fall and catch me though," she said, playing to his ego. That earned her a smug look of pride, and she grinned at him as she crawled her way forward to perch beside him, folding her legs up under her and feeling glad she wore pajama pants, not a gown. He had not removed the illusion of the Luna Pen yet, and still wore a red jacket and black tie of his school uniform, his human appearance disconcerting. It still struck her as odd, particularly when she looked upward to see a thick slice of the moon in the sky, a horned crown enveloped in a mantle of golden stars.

"I once read, you know, that a long time ago, people used to believe that the sky was a dome around the Earth, and that the stars were these little pinpricks in it, with the light of heaven shining through," she told him, folding her arms around her knees and resting her chin atop them. "Does that sound silly?"

Inuyasha turned and looked at her oddly, eyes upturned and face reflecting the moonlight. She had a crease on her cheek from her blankets, and her hair was smashed on one side from where she lay on it. Something made him want to reach out and run a hand through it, to straighten it to its normal appearance. She felt his eyes on her, and turned her head. "I couldn't sleep. Tired, but not sleepy. You're still awake?"

"Feh. With some crazy witch running around?" he snorted, at the obvious answer, shrugging and holding up Tetsusaiga at bit, then setting it aside on the roof's tiles. "You should have listened to the Ami girl. Get some sleep."

She shrugged, tilting her head to the side and looking at him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wondering why she was scrutinizing. After a moment, she let go of her legs and gently reached for his jacket pocket, pulling the Luna Pen from where she placed it that evening.

"You're still in human form. It's strange, when there's a moon out."

"Eh..." he shrugged, taking the pen from her and holding it up slightly to see the prismic end catch and flash brightly, the moonlight flowing naturally over the facets. "Don't you want me to stay this way while I'm here?" he asked her furtively, trying to understand why, but still disliking it. She'd always accepted him as a hanyou...why should the era they were in make a difference?

"Only when we're walking around," Kagome told him, puzzled at his behavior. "Inuyasha...I'm not trying to make you look human all the time...I know you don't like it. But people would be scared...people don't see..." she forced herself to hold back a yawn, "people don't see youkai here. They'd be scared. Humans are dangerous in this time...here, they could kill you."

The concept of humans killing him seemed ludicrous. Him? Feh. But Kagome had a deadly serious expression on her face under the weariness, and he realized she wasn't kidding.

His lips drew into a thin line, and he looked at the gem on the end of the pen. This time, he closed his eyes and said flatly, "This had better work. Moon Power. Make me look normal."

Kagome shielded her eyes from the thin white ribbons of light, which circled around the figure beside her for a moment. Then, as they faded away, she waited for him to look at his hands. Once again, they were clawlike, sharp, and he slipped the pen inside his haori, again the usual Inuyasha she knew. "Back to normal."

"Feh."

"At least we know it works now...this is a human world, Inuyasha...."

He was frowning, ears twitching slightly at her words. Human world...a human world. A human world, not for youkai. Even the senshi were human, wielding powers as humans. Nothing like that before, in his world. As a hanyou, he walked the thin ledge between a human world and a youkai world, a bit of both, but fully neither.

Kagome saw the sadness on his face, through the clouded expression, and wondered what he was thinking about. It had been a long time since they had sat together quietly- the last time, she realized, was not so long ago; the day they left Ukifune's old mansion. A strange warmth filled up her belly, remembering how she had woken from a nightmare, and he had held her, loaning her his strength for a time, letting the dream fade into forgetfulness. Somehow he made it easy to forget, and she felt her cheeks begin to turn a light pink at the fullness of the memory.

Tentatively, she reached out and touched one of the locks of hair that fell over his shoulder, running her fingertips over the silvery whiteness of it. That was how it should be. He turned his head to see her running her hand through his hair, and he reached up and caught her wrist in a delicate grip.

She slipped it out of his hand, and slid it around behind his neck, resting her cheek against his shoulder. He stiffened a moment in surprise, then relaxed as she leaned into him, molding into an embrace and resting his own arms around her shoulders. She yawned again, sleepily, feeling warmth radiate up through his kimono and into her skin.

Half asleep, there was a softness in her expression, a slackness of features that melted away any negative thoughts, revealing contentedness. Sitting that way didn't feel uncomfortable, but instead comforting, and he let himself smile vaguely, resting his chin against her hair for a moment.

The idea of some crazy witch coming and stealing her soul was infuriating. He wished he could walk into the school with everyone else, and he'd have to argue for it in the morning, though he was fairly sure that would earn him an 'osuwari,' school uniform or not. But he was going to be closer this time, and be moving around. No sitting still.

The image of that Karasu woman standing over her body, the crystalline soul of Kagome in her hands...bent over an unconscious body, with human black eyes in the face of a youkai that reeked of bird, of raven. A raven youkai...with human eyes...holding a glowing crystal soul....

"Kuso!"

Kagome blinked, feeling his hand suddenly tense on her back, and she turned her head upward, startled, to see him with wide eyes, staring into the distance, searching.

"Inuyasha? What's wrong?" she tried to twist around to see what he seemed to be staring at, only to have him release her slightly, gripping her shoulders. "What? Inuyasha! What're you doing?"

"That bitch Karasu! I've seen her before!"

Kagome suddenly felt considerably more awake, grabbing his arms. "What? When?"

"Kuso...kuso, I barely remember it...kuso!"

"Inuyasha! What is it? Tell me what's going on!"

"There was something before," he told her seriously, almost shaking her as he tried to recall what happened. "The Hoste shit. I've seen it before. The same way. Kuso...it happened before...she called me like she knew me...that bitch attacked Kaede-babaa once. Long time ago."

"A long time ago?" Kagome repeated, then realized that to Inuyasha, a 'long time ago' probably referred to before being pinned to the Goshinboku tree. "When she was little?"

Inuyasha had released her, and had his hand in a fist, ready to pound something. "Yeah. Stench of birds on her, and crow youkai and their relatives don't have enough power to transform."

Kagome remembered how the Shikon no Tama had shattered in the first place, of how the crow had swallowed it and how she had shot it, accidentally breaking the tama inside the creature. She shuddered at the thought of the repulsive thing. "What happened?"

He caught himself, anger draining for a moment. "Kaede...Kaede and-"

"Kikyou?" Kagome supplied quietly, watching him. He nodded once, then continued:

"Kaede and Kikyou...they were out doing some miko shit...the crystal came out of her chest, like I saw yours do. She was a mess...it's got to be the same woman...half transformed, feathers and a beak but on a human body...she couldn't finish the transformation to a more human look."

"But you fought her off then, didn't you? Kaede is fine now...."

"Feh, now. But if that is her, then she's been alive since before...and kuso, she'd have all that time to sit around and get stronger. She called to me like she knew me...."

A horrible realization dawned in Kagome, and when she looked at Inuyasha, she knew he had come to the same thought. If Karasu knew who Inuyasha was, she may know a considerable amount more about all of them. Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kagome herself...and even, possibly, the senshi. Watching and waiting, waiting and watching....

"We've got to tell them about this."

"Definitely."

* * *

Terms of note:

haori- Inuyasha's red outer kimono

babaa- old lady, old hag

Moshi moshi- 'hello' when answering the phone

Nihon- Japan

Welcome to another edition of Author's Ramblings!

This week, we shall discuss pinpricks of light in the dome of the heavens, which Kagome refers to while she's sitting on the roof with Inuyasha. That's a medieval _European_ belief, that the light of heaven shines through the stars. I was just rambling in the scene, and thought it would be sweet to add in. ^_^

And the infernal question of: What to do with hiraikotsu!

Hope this works okay. I didn't want to leave Sango entirely unarmed, but she obviously couldn't walk around downtown Tokyo with a giant, sharpened boomerang strapped on her back. Conspicious? Just a little. I always liked the idea Clamp came up with for the Magic Knights in _Rayearth_, hiding weaponry in their glove jewels. So the senshi are now capable of making little magical devices when needed. I don't think they ever have, but...well, I don't think there's a rule saying they _can't_.... ^^;;;; So the bracelet idea is just a spin off of Clamp's idea. Not mine. Just tweaked a little. ^.~

Last chapter I said that if you emailed (or reviewed, I guess....) that I would let you know if you guessed correctly as to who Karasu put in the antique music box. There was only one correct guess, and I emailed her to let her know already. ^_~ If you didn't get an email from me...sorry. Keep an eye out, and see. It's actually quite important....

And sorry, Haruka and Michiru are still away. Don't worry, it won't be too much longer before they come. But there are a lot of major characters in this fic, since I'm trying not to play favorites and make it about one character in particular. Keeping some people away temporarily helps me juggle the many characters, particularly on the _Sailormoon_ side. There're more senshi than Inuyasha-tachi.

So, til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 11: Familiarities-

She was concentrating on one of the video games, rapidly moving the controls. He watched as a smile suddenly lit her face while a beeping noise began to emit from the machine, and she beamed at the young man beside her.

Miroku frowned.


	12. Familiarities

_Of This World and Yesterday_

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* * *

_

_This thing all things devours:_

_Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;_

_Gnaws iron, bites steel;_

_Grinds hard stones to meal;_

_Slays king, ruins town,_

_And beats high mountain down._

_-The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien_

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Chapter 11- Familiarities

Fiddling with the latch on the door, Sango lifted it, tentatively peeking out of the dressing room stall and looking for the two women she arrived with. The taiji-ya still was a bit uncertain about things, still trying to adapt to the bright new world she found herself in. Everything was so fast, so loud, so colorful, so busy...everywhere there were lights and sounds and smells that were dizzying. Kirara, tucked inside an oversized 'purse' she was carrying, had eventually sunk back into the leather folds, hiding away from it all. Sango, however, had to adapt and adjust, to deal with constant reassurances that everything was fine.

For the last two and a half hours, she'd been in Juuban's shopping district, closely tailing to Setsuna or Kami out of sheer willpower. Everywhere there seemed to be people, running errands and shopping as well. The outfit they'd lent her to begin with was one of Kami's, and it was not the best fit in the world. That made the first thing on the list a few shirts and a couple skirts. Sango couldn't understand how they could afford to pay for everything, but the nonchalant attitude Setsuna carried was somewhat relieving. They had to have enough money, and when she had first questioned it, they'd told her not to worry about paying back.

So now she was dressed as a woman of this era, constantly chanting the mantra to herself that this was normal attire, and that her taiji-ya outfit was just as clingy. One of the first stores had a 'sale' going on, and this seemed to be a good thing, since she was given an armload of clothes and sent to try them on, with a firm warning not to remove any tags. After nearly an hour, she was properly befitted, wearing a plaid skirt of mauve and black, and a light, short sleeve sweater top to match. Then she had been subjected to searching for footwear, a pair of black sandals. Those were of much debate, since she could possibly have to fight in them. They opted for practicality over trendiness.

Though right now, Sango thought they were buying something a bit more important.

Some shorts for under her skirt. Last thing she wanted was for houshi-sama's wandering hands to get a grip on this flimsy outfit.

She held up her skirt a bit, revealing a pair of black gym shorts, and moved out of the dressing room stall, finding Kami standing just inside the hallway. "Uki..." Sango cut herself off, reminding herself again of the name change. "Kami-san?"

The other girl turned around, and a critical smile formed on her face as she appraised the shorts. "Hm, do they fit?"

"I...think so."

Setsuna reappeared, holding another pair in her hands. "You're sure? I brought a larger size..."

"No...thanks though."

Setsuna nodded and gave her a small smile, reaching for her purse and pocketbook as Sango dropped the skirt back down, smoothing it. "Good. Then we'll do as we did with the other stores, and just have you keep them on. I'll go have them scan this pair instead."

As Setsuna turned away, Sango slipped back into the dressing room and took her purse off the hook. There was an indignant squeaking from inside, and the purse kicked. Sango smiled and opened a bit, allowing the uncomfortable youkai cat a chance to poke her head out a moment.

"Sorry, Kirara," she told her in a whisper, smoothing the cat's forehead with a fingertip gently. "I know it's tight."

Kirara stretched slightly, sliding her nose out over the edge of the material and poking it through the straps, blinking large red eyes. Sango sighed, and looking down, could see the length of her own hands, the left wrist now delicately adorned with a silver and opal bracelet.

She'd spent a good long time that morning figuring out how to manipulate the magic Setsuna and Kami had used on the thing, and in a state of nervousness, watched as hiraikotsu disappeared into a lavender mist that swirled around the white and gold flecked stone.

It was Kami's power that manipulated the space, the stone itself just a trigger for a borrowed magic. According to Setsuna, the giant boomerang was resting with Dreamweaver's naginata, wherever that was, instead of with Pluto's Timestaff. Sango had practiced with the two senshi, summoning and then returning the thing into and out of the bracelet for nearly the entire morning, until Setsuna was satisfied she could do it right. Unfortunately, Miroku had taken his shakujyou with him the day before, out of habit. They'd have to find something to use as a bracelet for him later, she assumed, once they met up at the arcade that afternoon.

Carefully placing her purse over her shoulder, she made sure she didn't accidentally elbow Kirara. The bag was empty other than the cat, and Sango wished for a way to carry her sword as well. Though apparently summoning two things from 'sub-space' was a more difficult task, and she was having difficulty with hiraikotsu as it was. Sango wasn't particularly magical, and she knew it. At least she had her main weapon and Kirara.

Emerging out of the dressing room, Sango had to admit, their 'sporting goods store' provided an interesting array of items. Balls of many sizes for games, but also 'bats' and various other things that could make weaponry if used the right way, as well as sparring gear for those in the martial arts. There were even swords for something called 'fencing,' a sword sport Setsuna claimed was from Europe. Though Sango didn't really think the thin foils would do much good against a katana.

Then there was something in the corner that caught her eye, giving her pause.

"Taji-ya-san, what is it?"

"Kami-san..." Sango began, slowly turning away from the checkout and towards the corner of the store, "this is kyujutsu equipment, isn't it?"

Kami hesitated, then her face lit as she caught Sango's train of thought, her eyes sweeping over the racks of archery equipment. "Setsuna-san!" she called, waving the other woman out of line and over, a curious frown on her face as she waited for them to tell her what they found.

"Kagome-chan didn't bring her arrows with her," Sango told her after a moment, gesturing at the rack of displayed bows and sets of arrows, each proclaiming prices and pounds of tension the strings could take. "Maybe something to replace them, if things are that serious, it may be good to have them."

Setsuna was nodding silently in agreement, quickly scanning the racks and selecting a thin, delicate bow, smaller than the others. "So Kagome practices kyudo as a miko?" she murmured, half to herself as she ran a hand over the shaft of the bow. The one she selected was light, made of carbon rather than a more traditional material. They'd already spent a good deal today, and the artificial make would make it cheaper, without making it cheap. Sango had a point; if there was an attack, all should be armed in some way. If the bow was Kagome's weapon, it was sensible that she at least have access to one.

"Kyudo?" Sango and Kami echoed, not recognizing the term.

"A more modern term for kyujutsu," Setsuna told them offhandedly, remembering who she was with. More archaic terms were sometimes still needed to explain things. Setsuna glanced over the display of equipment, nodded once, and reached for the arrows.

They ended up leaving the store with considerably more than they thought they would, laden with bags of archery equipment.

* * *

Carrying the bags, the three women headed out into the street again, strolling along the sidewalk. Sango tried not to stare at the world around her. She felt small somehow, the giant buildings of stone and glass towering above her, leaning into the sky so high above. There were so many faces, reflected in the glass, so many things to look at. She was secretly glad Kami was also looking around with wonder in her eyes, though having been there longer, it was easier for her to accept.

Sango remained silent though, clutching the large shopping bags carefully as she kept Setsuna and Kami no more than an armslength from her. Despite that, she did not know them well for all their kindness, and a familiar face in the crowd would have been welcome.

They eventually drew on a quieter street, looking across for traffic and quickly heading for a building labeled in bright lights 'Crown Arcade.'

"This is the place we will meet everyone?" Sango queried, looking in through the panes of clear glass into the rooms beyond. It was fairly quiet, though a couple people wandered amid the video games, high school students not having arrived for the afternoon crowd yet.

"It will fill up soon," Setsuna sighed, checking her watch with a frown. "The Inners come here often enough to play and talk. We're still a bit early, though Mamoru-san is usually fairly punctual," glancing from her watch, she continued, "Still nothing from Haruka or Michiru. I'm going to check the messages at home. Do you two think you could wait alone for a few minutes?"

Sango shifted nervously, glancing inside the arcade. It looked quiet enough. A few minutes shouldn't be bad. "I think we can handle it," she agreed after a moment, glancing at Kami sideways. The other woman had her hand to her lips, and was slowly shaking her head.

"I...well...I could stay if you wish...but..."

"Hotaru-chan and Small Lady will expect you," Setsuna stated, and there was a look between them. Kami would walk to their school every day, and return back with them out of habit, listening to the chatter and gossip of the younger girls. "I'll stay then..."

"I said I can handle it," Sango repeated, and the other two looked at her critically for a moment, Kami curiously. "If it's just a bit...I'll just walk around..." she took a deep breath and nodded once, firmly, and adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder. Kirara mewed at the interruption, and Sango rested a free hand on her neck to soothe her. "I can handle it for a couple minutes. If the others are on their way..."

"Kanashimi-chan, Usagi-sama and Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippou...they will be late, ne? Studying?" Kami asked curiously, shifting the weight of the bags in her hands. "But everyone else will be here soon..."

Setsuna agreed after a moment, deciding that the demon huntress would be capable of taking care of herself for ten minutes in a modern era, new to it or not. Besides, the place was nearly empty, and the Fruit Parlor above was likely to be almost empty as well. She'd be left alone. "Alright. Kami, here," she reached out and took Kami's bags, then Sango's as well, heavily weighted. "I'll take it back with me. We can get the bow and arrows to Kagome this evening when we all meet." She fixed a final glance at Sango. "You're certain, Sango-san?"

The taiji-ya lifted her head a bit, with a grim smile. "You had me come here to help. There's no point for me to be timid about it. Go check to see if your friends are back. I'll be here."

Setsuna smiled, glad the demon huntress was adapting. They'd need for her and the others to learn quickly, and not be afraid. Though at times, their learning worried Setsuna. There was a line to be drawn, knowledge of what they could know and what they must know. After a moment, she allowed, "Until later, then. Be careful. Good bye, Kami."

The other girl bowed politely, and turned the opposite direction.

And Sango turned, slightly startled when the glass doors drew back on their own, and stepped inside.

* * *

Bleeping and pinging reached her ears, somewhat muted in the open floor of the arcade. After a moment, Sango realized the sounds were coming from the machines, and occasionally a tinkling musical strain cut through the bleating. A couple of young men were focused on the machines, either aiming strange looking weapons at the screens and cheering, or agonizing over small joysticks attached to the monitors. Several smells floated around her, and she could faintly smell something called 'coffee' hovering in the air. Setsuna had given her a mug of it that morning at breakfast, and even laden with sugar and cream, it was bitter. She made a face at the memory, though enjoyed the rich smell of the ground beans.

From behind the counter, a young man watched the girl wandering around through the aisles, wide eyed at everything she saw, though doing an admirable job of hiding it. Motoki had worked at the Crown for years, and knew every regular face. This one was not only new, but appeared somewhat at a loss, trying to look behind the back of one of the games, seeing where the chords disappeared into the plugs in the floor.

"Konnichiwa," he said, stepping out from behind the counter and interrupting her investigation of the famous Sailor V game. "You all right?"

Sango jerked up, staring as the blond haired man approached and waved a greeting. "Y...yes," she managed after a moment, reminding herself that the boy wouldn't know anything about her. She wasn't sure if talking to people was a good idea, seeing how she could easily make a mistake, looking suspicious.

"Sailor V is pretty tough," he was continuing, oblivious to the fact that Sango had suddenly started staring very hard at him. "Ever play it before?"

"Sailor V?" she repeated, then looked between him and the video game. A person who looked very much like Minako was drawn all over the side, and a digitalized version of her face popping up on the screen, red bow and all. A little uncertainly, Sango began to wonder about that. Maybe the game was based on the senshi? If that was true, then nothing to worry about. He couldn't know anything...she relaxed a bit, shaking her head. "No..."

He laughed, scratching his head. "I'm Furuhata Motoki. I work back there," he pointed, jerking a thumb at the counter. "You're new around here, aren't you?"

Sango suddenly realized something with a start. _Everyone_ in this era had a family name. When the senshi introduced themselves, they each gave a family name. Tsukino, Mizuno, Hino, Kino, Aino, Chiba...Meioh, Tomoe. Even Kagome had one. That was usually reserved for samurai class, or nobility. Normal here, apparently, but Sango did not have one. She ran through a list of words quickly, finally blurting out the most obvious. "Taijiya Sango...yes...new..."

There was a mewing from her purse, and Kirara poked her head out as she realized people were being introduced, and she did not want to be left out. For a moment, Sango was horrified, thinking Motoki was going to go running screaming about demon cats. Motoki, though, bent down a bit and grinned. "Cute...he doesn't look albino though, with those red eyes...strange."

"Ah...she...Kirara...she was born with them..." Sango managed, mentally willing the cat to keep her twin tails inside the purse and out of sight. Apparently Motoki was coming up with his own reasonings, and that was fine by her. She relaxed again, slowly bringing Kirara up. "She's just traveling with me..." a thought occurred to her, of how some places did not allow 'pets' inside. "Is it all right she's in here?"

"Oh sure," he waved it off, standing back up. "Some girls bring their cats with them every once in awhile...some regulars. A new one won't make much difference. Just keep an eye on her. Are you looking for someone, Sango-san? You looked a little lost for awhile."

"Waiting, actually," she told him, glancing around and wishing she knew how to read the clocks in this era, particularly the one on the wall above the counter. "Some friends of mine are supposed to be meeting here after school."

"I see," he nodded, then noticed Sango's glance straying back to the smiling face of Sailor V, who suddenly began to zap random youma that presented themselves to her. One after another fell as the senshi in the game blasted them apart, until an insectile one sprayed something at her, sending her flying off the screen with swirls for eyes. The advertising sequence began again, and Motoki almost laughed at the serious expression Sango had on her face. "What's wrong?"

"She should have a filter mask on. Venom from a youkai can be very dangerous if inhaled."

Motoki blinked.

Sango continued to watch Sailor V undergo the same fate again, as 'Game Over' began to flash on the screen. "That's very dangerous," she repeated absently after a moment, trying to categorize the various kinds of youkai getting beamed by the game's heroine. "Is she always stuck dying at the end?"

"You've never played a video game before?" Motoki asked, surprised. She acted like she'd never even seen one before, looking from side to side and trying to figure out what it was. It was horrible for someone not to have ever played a video game before. "You play the game, and try to kill all the youma for her."

"Really?" Sango asked, wide eyed and curious. Killing youma? She should be good at that. "How?"

"With the joystick and buttons. Manipulate her," he explained, gesturing. Then he beamed, searching through his pockets and pulling out a token, slipping it into the slot. "Hey, free game for a newbie?" The advertising abruptly cut off, and a three dimensional Sailor V found herself on the ground floor of a haunted mansion, ghosts flying in the rafters as the first youma emerged from one of the hallways. "Use the stick to move her back and forth-"

She quickly grabbed on, jerking Sailor V out of the way as a giant claw sliced through the air. "Where are my weapons?"

"The buttons. Try to-"

Sailor V screamed in anguish before Sango could fight back, vanishing as the screen went blank.

"Aw..." Sango sighed, then blinked as the game started over. Motoki leaned over, pointing at the screen and explaining. "Dead already?"

"The game's starting over, since you still have a life left. To defeat that one, try the spinning overhead kick. It's complicated...here, try this..." he explained, and Sango imitated his motions on the controls.

* * *

Leaning backward, Miroku pushed aside one of the ferns around the booth he and Mamoru were sitting in. Crown Fruit Parlor was definitely his new favorite place to eat. The thing Mamoru was drinking, something called "Coffee, black," was horrible. However, Miroku discovered that vanilla milkshakes with whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top were very, very good. He had just polished off his second, served by a very lovely red haired waitress named Unazuki, who did not want to bear his child.

But that was all right as long as he got another milkshake.

Mamoru glanced at him from across the table, setting down the dregs of his first cup of coffee. The single male out of the new group of allies was reading an oversized book on physics, with graphs and charts Miroku could make no sense of. Mamoru, though, seemed to pick up on Miroku's constant glances around the Fruit Parlor. "They'll be here soon."

"I know..."

The houshi and Mamoru had gotten along well enough, once the two screaming girls were out of the car the previous evening. How the other man had patience for the arguing he wasn't sure. It took the Buddha's patience for the car ride alone. But when Miroku found a framed picture of the three of them later in his apartment, all smiling and waving, he couldn't help but think how much they looked like a family. A 'photograph' taken by something called a 'camera.'

Mamoru's apartment was full of strange things, lights that lit without fire, and a box that produced something called 'popcorn' without flames. Then there was the box with the people telling what the weather would be like today. And they were even right. Bright, sunny, though partially cloudy in the late afternoon.

It had been an interesting day, and Miroku couldn't help but stare. He usually kept his face carefully schooled against blatant observation, but everything here was so big, so bright, so loud. So many faces, so fast. He didn't mind being alone, usually, but with so much to see, a familiar face would have been welcome. He was somewhat impatient for the others to arrive.

First stop of the day had been shopping, as Mamoru had forewarned him. Miroku didn't fit too well into Mamoru's clothes, the other man being taller and thinner. Despite that, Miroku thought that Mamoru had fairly good taste in the strange clothes of this era, and tried to trust his judgment. Though he'd thought about it a second time when the man put on an old pea green jacket that morning. Now, Miroku sported shiny black shoes, black pants and a deep blue long sleeve cotton shirt, buttoning up the front. He liked his color scheme how it was, and if he was going to be traveling as inconspicuously as possible, that meant no houshi robes. He was a bit hot in the long sleeves, but it was better to hide the wrappings of his rosary and kazaana. Only the binding on his hand showed, and unless drawn to one's attention, easily passable.

"They're coming out here from their school place, correct?"

"Yes," Mamoru agreed, turning the page of his book and frowning at it. "I'd have thought Setsuna would bring your friend Sango early, but perhaps they got caught up shopping."

"That would be unsurprising," Miroku allowed dryly, glancing over at the steps that led down to the Arcade portion of the building. There was music floating on the air, from what Mamoru said was the 'sound system,' but it was occasionally punctuated by game music. "You're not in school?"

"College," came the reply, and a deepening of the frown. "Further education..."

At the hesitation in his voice, Miroku turned back to the other man at the table. "What's wrong?"

"I may be going overseas for it. I sent in an essay to an American university, but I haven't heard back from them yet. If accepted, I'd get a good scholarship." Miroku blinked in confusion, and Mamoru shook his head, waving a hand. "Don't worry about it. It's a little way off yet, regardless."

"I see," he replied, glancing again towards the steps. "I'm going to wander in the arcade place for awhile, see if maybe they're waiting there."

"You're sure?" Mamoru asked, brows lifting as he advised, "I wouldn't ask any other girls to bear your child. Unazuki thought you were joking, but some others may get insulted."

"Ah, but can they whack me as good as Sango can for it?" Miroku mused for a moment, rubbing his head in memory. Mamoru shook his head at the houshi, returning to his physics assignment as Miroku headed down the steps.

It was entirely feasible that they'd stopped in the arcade. The place was fascinating, and he and Mamoru had wandered around for nearly a half hour before heading up the steps to the Fruit Parlor. Even then, it had been mostly Miroku, taking in the whirling and musical machines, watching as they went through their various games. He was sure Sango would be just as curious, and probably stop for a bit as well.

Scanning the room as he descended the steps, he easily spotted the other member of his group. Also in modern clothes, she wore a short, wine colored dress contrasting to the blackness of her hair, now loose down her back and swinging around her waist, free of its usual white ribbon. She was concentrating on one of the video games, rapidly moving the controls. He watched as a smile suddenly lit her face while a beeping noise began to emit from the machine, and she beamed at the young man beside her.

Miroku frowned.

* * *

"Now!"

At Motoki's warning, Sango smacked the red button beside the joystick, swiveling Sailor V around and into the air, one heeled foot impacting onto a large youma's forehead. It spun backward, howling and then succumbing to a rather interesting move Sango just learned. She was grinning, thoroughly enjoying her work, without actually being in mortal danger this time.

Suddenly, she felt a hand clasp her hip, turning her from the game, though before she could turn and smack anyone, she heard a familiar voice say, "I'm Miroku. Who're you?"

First, she realized that houshi-sama was already there. Second, Sango realized that the hand was not on her rear end. Third, he was nearly glaring at Motoki, who was smiling obliviously at the newcomer with polite interest.

"Konnichiwa! You're new around here too, right?"

There was a loud shriek from the video game, and Sango turned away from Miroku in irritation, noticing that Sailor V just lost her last life to a rather overgrown spider. She grimaced as 'Game Over' scrolled up, then glared at Miroku, realizing that he was still focused on Motoki, gaze unwavering.

"Idiot...what are you doing?"

"I came to look for you, since you were late."

Sango blinked. Setsuna said they were early, and that was just a few minutes ago. She wasn't late. And why did he still have his hand on her hip? What in the world was he doing? Crazy houshi...

Motoki finally managed to come to a conclusion, and held his hands up for peace, sensing an argument coming on. "Hey, sorry, I was just showing your girlfriend how to play the Sailor V-"

He was cut off by Sango suddenly strangling out the word, "_Girlfriend?_" and turning several heads to the small spectacle that was developing in front of the video game.

Miroku just kept looking at Motoki.

"Houshi-sama! What are you doing?"

That earned her a calm look from Miroku, finally managing to break through the glaring at a confused Motoki. "I'm merely defending you from the advances of-"

"Defending me from the advances of...houshi-sama! You can't..." she spluttered, then remembered the fact Miroku still had a hand on her hip.

Smack.

Miroku rubbed his new red handprint, and Motoki blinked, getting even more confused. There were snickers from several of the other men in the arcade, watching as Sango began to seethe at her 'boyfriend.' She was half furious, half blushing, particularly over the fact Miroku seemed so entirely casual about it. She didn't belong to him. Motoki wasn't doing anything. She didn't belong to the eechi! What was he doing? Crazy...

Before she could think of something else to say, she heard a whooshing sound as the glass doors automatically slid open, admitting Aino Minako and Kino Makoto, who both saw the steamed Sango, confused Motoki, and handprint-ed Miroku at once.

From Minako's shoulder, Artemis sighed under his breath, "Oh, boy."

"That pervert!" Makoto exclaimed, coming to the conclusion Sango had just been assaulted. After all, what else would require a slapping? Besides, Inuyasha described Miroku as a lecher already. Makoto would not stand for such an injustice towards women. "I ought to pound him..." she cracked her knuckles in feminine sympathy, and headed towards the group.

"I think she already took care of that, Mako-chan," Minako warned her, hurrying to get herself into the conversation before Mako began to pummel the houshi. "Motoki! Konnichiwa! Sango-san, Miroku-san! Konnichiwa! We got here as soon as we could!"

"What did you do to her?" Makoto demanded, and got an even look in exchange, and some arched eyebrows.

"I did nothing wrong-" Miroku began.

Sango whirled on him, "Idiot!"

"I ought to-" Makoto began again, only to be grabbed by the arm by Minako, who suspected a different situation than Mako did, particularly since the ever-friendly Motoki was looking utterly baffled by the entire situation.

"Ah, Mako-chan, it's okay," Minako tried to soothe, grabbing her friend's arm and Sango's and hauling them along with her towards the stairs. "Sorry we're late! Sango-san, I love those clothes! Come on, I feel like Usagi-chan I'm so hungry! Let's go get some food, ne? Sango-san, those clothes are awesome, but you should get some red shoes to match, maybe pumps...do you have earrings? Not pierced! Oh! That's terrible! Can you walk okay in the sandals? Ah, no heels, good, good..."

The detransformed senshi of Love kept her prattle going as she hauled the other two irate girls along with her, displaying a little shown feat of strength.

Miroku joined Motoki in being confused.

"What just happened?"

Motoki glanced at Miroku. "Hurricane Aino. Hits every once in awhile."

"I see..."

* * *

Minako spotted Mamoru at one of the booths, engrossed in his physics, as well as the two empty glasses across from him. Deducing that if Miroku returned, he'd go sit with Mamoru, Minako picked a booth on the Fruit Parlor's opposite side, shielded from view by various potted plants, and shoved Makoto and Sango into the seats, sliding in beside Makoto herself to prevent the taller girl from going out to tackle Miroku.

Setting her purse carefully down, Kirara climbed out and wedged herself into the corner as Sango settled herself down. Artemis leapt from Minako's shoulder, silently padding across the table and peering down to make sure Kirara was all right from her day of being dragged around in a purse. Satisfied, he sat back on his haunches beside Minako on the table, curling his tail around his paws.

"Okay!" Minako began, folding her arms and looking hard at Sango. Her romance radar was going off the charts, though smacking was not part of the usual ritual. Sango's bright red blushing was, and they somewhat contradicted each other. "What happened?"

"Did he try something with you, Sango-san?" Makoto demanded, fully ready to push Minako aside if necessary. "If he did..." she cracked her knuckles meaningfully. Sango blinked across the table, still mad herself, but somewhat disbelieving of the Makoto's willingness to pummel Miroku. Besides, nobody was allowed smack Miroku other than her. It was a nice offer though, she decided. Kagome-chan would just sigh in sympathy and let Sango take care of it.

"He's such a idiot," she muttered after a moment, boring a hole into the table with her eyes. "I was just playing the youkai killing training game. That one man who works here-"

"Motoki?" Minako interjected, backing off as Sango nodded that she was correct.

"He was just showing me how to play it, and then he comes over and starts glaring at him and then he grabbed me and-"

"I knew it!" Makoto slammed her fist on the table, then began to climb past the resisting Minako. "Minako-chan, move aside, I'm going to beat him, the pervert."

"Mako-chan...ow! Mako-chan, your hand is in my eye!" Minako shoved Makoto back into the booth, rubbing her offended eye with a knuckle as it began to water. "You have plenty of time to beat him up later..."

"He grabbed her ass or something!" was Makoto's retort, continuing to clamber her way past Minako as Sango began to shift uneasily, opening her mouth to tell Makoto to settle down, but before she got the chance, a girl with bright red hair in a ponytail came up to their table, laughing at the antics of the two strugglers.

"Konnichiwa, Minako-chan, Mako-chan," she waved, pulling a pen from behind her ear and pulling off the cap, tapping it against her tablet of paper. "Konnichiwa," she said to Sango especially, seeing a new face. "Welcome to Crown," she winked conspiratorially, glancing at the other two. "It's kind of strange seeing them arguing. Usually it's Rei and Usagi. I'm Unazuki, I'll be your waitress. Can I get you anything?"

"Thanks...get me what?"

"Oops! Sorry, the menu is next to the napkins," she gestured, pointing at the tin napkin holder just under the window. "Mako-chan, Minako-chan, you have any orders?"

Unazuki's arrival and customary requests for orders gave Minako time enough to settle Makoto down, who was glowering wrathfully. "Sure!" Minako replied with a grin. "I'll have a burger, fries, a large Pepsi, and some ketchup for the fries."

Unazuki was scribbling everything down, then glanced at Makoto, who grumbled, "Strawberry milkshake. Medium."

Still looking at the menu, Sango was confused, not knowing what half the things were, much less the way the prices were set up. "Um...what's good?"

"Everything!" Minako told her with a grin.

"That doesn't help her, Minako-chan," Makoto sighed, folding her arms and settling in. "Well, are you hungry?"

"Not very..."

"Just get a milkshake. Something to snack on."

A little uncertainly, Sango looked at Unazuki, who was writing again. "Strawberry, chocolate or vanilla?"

Strawberry, chocolate or vanilla? Sango frowned. Kagome had brought chocolate with her before, and she knew that was good. Makoto seemed to like the strawberry kind...but well, it had been a day of new adventures. "Vanilla?" she half asked, half stated. Unazuki capped her pen.

"Be back in a couple minutes. Everything okay here?" she added as an afterthought, noticing Makoto's glowering. "Mako-chan, you look mad."

"Pervert," came the muttered response, then a sigh. "I'm fine. Just be wary of the eechi that probably sat with Mamoru-san for awhile."

"Oh, you mean the guy who wanted me to bear his child?"

"He asked you that?" Sango and Makoto both thundered, half leaping from the table and causing Unazuki to stumble backward, gripping her order sheets to her chest in alarm.

"Hey, it was just a joke," she laughed, waving a hand as she recovered. "He was just kidding, right? Who'd actually _ask _something like that? Did he ask you the same thing, Mako-chan? You didn't take that seriously, did you?"

"No, but he tried to grope-"

"He didn't," Sango interrupted, sitting back down hard. "At least not today."

Makoto slowly eased herself back into the booth, frowning. 'Not today?' So the taiji-ya had to put up with it all the time? If it were her, she'd turn him into a big bloody carpet stain if he tried to grab her ass. Or electrocute him. Whichever she felt would be more painful at the particular moment. What was wrong with Sango, just putting up with it all?

"Mako-chan, Minako-chan...I'm going to be right back with your orders. And a vanilla shake for your friend," Unazuki managed, slowly realizing the guy may have been serious after all. That was a bit disturbing. "Orders'll be up in a couple minutes..."

"Thanks, Unazuki," Minako sighed, waving her off and back to the kitchens. Once the other girl was gone, Minako and Makoto fixed Sango with twin stares.

"Sango-san," Makoto began after a moment, sounding serious. "You said he didn't try today...so he has before? If it were me, I'd do way more than just smack him. Why do you put up with it all?"

Sango suddenly found that she was utterly fascinated with the miracle that was the tabletop. Pretty and white, swept clean. She drummed her fingers on it for a moment, shifting around and trying to figure out how to reply.

"Oh god, she's in love with him."

Urk...

Sango looked up with an expression that somehow managed to capture variations between horror, guilt, shock and confusion. Makoto looked depressed for her sake, but Minako had a dreamy smile on her face. "He must have some good points then," she declared, beaming at Sango. She'd thought there was something there yesterday, and that just confirmed it. "Right, Sango-san?"

She finally got her tongue back, and managed to stutter belatedly, "But I'm not...I wouldn't...he's such a lecher...I wouldn't...I don't...I mean I am _not _in_..._"

"Sango-san," Makoto sighed, shaking her head in despair. "You must have incredible tolerance."

Well, Kagome-chan had plenty of patience with Inuyasha. So, if she had plenty of tolerance for Miroku, then she supposed that fit the pattern. Despite that, she was rather amazed at the way the two senshi had come to their conclusions that quickly.

She folded her hands in her lap and glared downward.

She was not in love with the hentai houshi.

No way...no no no...but...um...

Then she bit her lip. Things were rather strange. He could be such a pervert sometimes, but then he'd turn around and help her in battle, or say something kind or thoughtful, and she'd just stare at him and wonder how two such differing personalities could exist in the same infuriating man. Every time they would be alone, every time she thought maybe, just maybe something would happen, he had to go and try to grab at her again. She remembered the touches, they were electric, but fueled by fury. Her hands tensed, lips drawing thin. Even the one time when...a blush started to swell up on her cheeks as she remembered what happened at Kami's...Ukifune's...old mansion.

He'd had his turn in the nightmare world, and she had stayed to make sure he was alright as he slept, as Kagome and Inuyasha attempted to find the missing shards. When he awoke...she couldn't believe how sweet he could be. Of course, he ended up ruining it. And yet...she remembered every moment of a very brief kiss, burned into her memory.

Minako and Makoto couldn't read Sango's thoughts, but it was fairly clear that she was thinking things through, remembering something that had happened. A pinkness was settling on her face, and after a moment she lifted her fingers to her lips, a thoughtful, unconscious gesture accompanied by a very faint smile. The two senshi glanced at each other, Makoto thinking it rather sad, Minako delighted to have a couple to set up.

After a moment, Minako clapped her hands together as she reached her decision, leaping up and pointing dramatically into the air. "I, Aino Minako, goddess of Love, shall henceforth help you keep that hentai in line, and assure the romantic future of two of our new friends! After all, you know what they say! All's fair in Love and Perversion!"

Artemis choked, genuinely wishing he could talk in public.

Sango blinked. They had a saying like that in this time? Why?

Makoto buried her head in her hands, making a mental note to buy Minako a book of adages soon. The girl and her malapropisms were getting _way_ out of hand.

Beside Sango, Kirara began to shift around, sitting up a bit straighter and turning towards the window, eventually leaping up and placing her forepaws onto the sill, red eyes scanning the street outside. Cars were lined up outside and below, though traffic had grown still as the three girls talked, awaiting their food.

The youkai cat sniffed, unable to get a scent through the pane of glass in the upper window, especially with all the delicious smells coming in from the kitchen. Artemis was the first one to notice her troubled look, and turned around to look outside as well. Nothing better to do with the senshi talking about boys again. He was used to that, and usually went to sleep. A woman was walking straight out into the middle of the street from the opposing alleyway, cars slamming to a halt to avoid hitting her. The white cat squinted at the figure, trying to make it out more clearly. She seemed oblivious to the honking cars circling her, and the shouting of people who were annoyed, having almost been in an accident.

Artemis frowned, turning over his shoulder and whispering, quietly, "Minako...Minako!"

"But if he thought you and Motoki were flirting or something, he was jealous! That's kind of good-"

"Minako!" he tried again, a bit louder.

Hearing Artemis speak, she managed to cut off her sentence, looking at him curiously as he turned back to the scene below.

Kirara suddenly hissed, fur standing on end, and she twisted back and leapt over Sango, streaking out of the Fruit Parlor and down the stairs.

"Kirara!"

"Artemis? What's going...?" Minako leaned over Makoto to see what was happening on below. On the street, the woman stood, now with her arms outward, something heavy coiling around them and slithering off her hands, dropping heavily to the ground. She was turning, looking around and gauging her position, and as she turned to face the Crown Arcade, a lock of her red hair fell aside, revealing her unusually familiar face.

"Eudial!"

* * *

~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake

Minako and Makoto couldn't read Sango's thoughts, but it was fairly clear that she was thinking things through, remembering something that had happened. A pinkness was settling on her face, and after a moment she lifted her fingers to her lips, a thoughtful, unconscious gesture accompanied by a very faint smile. The two senshi glanced at each other, Makoto thinking it rather sad, Minako delighted to have a couple to set up.

After a moment, Minako clapped her hands together as she reached her decision, leaping up and pointing dramatically into the air. "I, Aino Minako, goddess of Love, shall henceforth help you keep that hentai in line, and assure the romantic future of two of our new friends! After all, you know what they say! All's fair with S & M!"

Makoto and Artemis facevaulted, gigantic sweatdrops appearing on their brows.

Sango looked confused.

Kirara just fell over.

Minako: Did I say something wrong?

* * *

Terms of note:

kyudo- 'The Way of the Bow'

kyujutsu- bow technique

kanashimi- sorrow, sadness (also what Kami calls Ami)

If you didn't get the omake...you probably don't want to. Don't worry about it. Just me being just the slightest bit eechi. Eh heh...x.x But I love to mangle malapropisms for Minako. (Wow, that's an alliterative line...) 'All's Fair in Love and Perversion' just seemed a bit too apt for the situation, and I noticed the S and M letters in their names as well...and Miroku's lechery just kind of leapt to mind...^^;;

If you're wondering about the quote at the beginning of the chapter...that's a riddle asked by Gollum to Bilbo from Tolkien's '_The Hobbit._' The answer is _Time_.

Anyway, I wish I could have played with Miroku's jealousy a little more...he needs to be jealous more often! But I had fun with this chapter. Poor Motoki...no clue what was going on. Sometimes he reminds me of Hojo...nice but generally clueless. I have fun playing with Sango and Miroku...their not knowing much about the modern era leaves the field wide open for comical set ups.

Another thing is the archery equipment. I've been watching to see the different kinds of bows both Kikyou and Kagome use in the _Inuyasha_ series. Kagome's is smaller than Kikyou's, and at my guess maybe four feet high. Kikyou's is larger, more like six or even seven feet. (Sorry, I don't know how to convert to the metric system...if anyone knows, mail...I'll add in the conversions.) According to .com:

_ "In the past the Japanese bow was used for hunting, war, court ceremonies, games, and contests of skill. The old word for Japanese archery was kyujutsu (bow technique) which encompassed the skills and techniques of the warrior archer." _

Sango and Kami, being from various stages of the past, would be less likely to recognize the term 'kyudo' than 'kyujutsu,' if I'm following this correctly. It was during the sengoku jidai that kyujutsu was perfected, so I'm assuming Sango would be familiar with the weaponry. Kami, being from an earlier era, (and not really ever having to use a weapon before...) would be even less likely to understand what Setsuna meant when she used the more modern term.

And yes...Eudial.

So, til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 12: Puppet-

"Space Sword..._Blaster!_"

(Need I say more? ^_~)


	13. Puppet

_Of This World and Yesterday_

_A woman sits alone in a locked room._

_She is a mighty enchantress._

_And though alone, she is not without company. For there are her familiars_

_to fetch and carry for her. And a pair of heroes on the wall, chained there for her amusement._

_They are Hercules and Samson, caught together in a loop of frozen time,_

_rattling their clinking bonds as they face a mighty hydra._

_They have played out the same silent struggle- straining and grunting defiantly, repetitively-_

_ever since the enchantress put them there to be 'enhanced,' many days ago._

_Now, though, she has little time for such things._

_The heroes must wait their turn._

_-David Brin, 'Earth'_

Chapter 12- Puppet

"Eudial!"

Minako and Makoto were on their feet, exclaiming the same word at once, looks of horror sweeping over their faces in recognition of the woman below. She stood calmly, two large serpents dropping to the ground beside her and writhing, rearing back.

"That's impossible!" Minako was exclaiming, then wheeled, pulling Makoto out of the booth with her. "Mako-chan, let's go!"

"Okay!" came the immediate response, and Makoto spared a glance over her shoulder at Sango, who was on her feet and moving after Kirara. "Sango! We'll meet you in a minute!"

"Right!"

"Mamoru-san!" Minako shouted, waving and catching the young man's attention. Just as he lifted his head to see who was calling for him, there was a shattering sound, and screams from below in the arcade, as an impact blast shuddered its way through the building.

Reaching the steps, Sango grabbed onto the railing, stumbling as the tremor hit, blasting out the shiny windows on the ground floor. As sounds of terrified people began to fill her ears, she opened her eyes again, seeing Miroku crouched halfway up the steps, obviously on his way back when the front of the arcade was hit. "Houshi-sama!"

He looked up, seeing her rising to her feet. Behind him, people were stampeding towards the back of the building, Motoki with the back door open and ushering people outside and behind the arcade. "Sango! Are you alright?"

"Fine. The others are on their way! Kirara went down already!" Sango was moving again, keeping below the railing but moving quickly, waiting for the ground floor to clear of bystanders. Having an audience would not be a good thing. It took only a moment for the two of them to descend, running outside through the shattered front doors, just as Kirara was swallowed up by flames, transforming her into the much larger, fighting youkai she could become.

It was a single woman, two youkai beside her, rapidly filling out and growing larger as she turned to face them. Bright red hair pulled into three parts, hanging around her shoulders, a red and black battle costume clinging to her as she smiled, observing her two friends as they grew up.

"Minako and Mako called her Eudial," Sango told Miroku flatly as they took in the scene. "They seemed surprised to see her now."

"Regardless, we'd better take care of things until they get here." He reached for the rosary on his kazaana, ready to unloop the beads from his hand. "You're unarmed. You'd better get back."

Sango remained silent for a moment, and he glanced quickly at her to see why. He'd expected either an argument or an agreement immediately, depending on how she viewed the situation. Instead, he found her looking at her wrist, or more precisely, a silvery bracelet she wore there, the gemstone glowing faintly with lavender mist, a haze steaming upward in a blurry thread. There was a determined look on her face, and he watched as she concentrated, closing her eyes for a moment and breathing, then grabbing at the light, burying her hand into it and pulling it back, a lavender arch following and solidifying as she drew her free arm upward, the other down and away, the magic swirling around her and reflecting off her in a spiral.

Hiraikotsu was solid in her hands.

That was certainly a new trick, and he wondered how it worked. Something the senshi had cooked up, apparently, but how? "Sango...?"

A roar of warning from Kirara began the battle, as the two serpents reached their full size, the first of them hissing as it reared back, plummetting straight down and towards the two humans and the cat.

"Hiraikotsu!"

Sango was ready, bracing herself and throwing the boomerang upward at the mouth of the thing, striking it in the center of its jaw and shearing off the upper portion of its skull.

A scream of warning was cried from above them, just as the sharp boomerang began to return and Sango prepared herself to catch it on its way back to her. The senshi had arrived, Jupiter and Venus, along with Tuxedo Kamen, leaping down from the second story window. It was Venus screaming the warning, "No! Don't cut its head! Don't cut off its...!"

It was already too late, as the snake proved itself to be a familiar opponent, the same breed of youkai-daimon that Mars and Mercury faced before the Higurashi jinja. Rearing back as the second of the two burst upward towards the senshi, the first's neck began to pulsate, bubbling up as three new heads emerged from the gash through the first, revealing it to be another hydra.

The second snake was opening its mouth, revealing a pair of long, venomous fangs, forcing the senshi and Tuxedo Kamen to break apart, Jupiter and Venus to the left, Tuxedo Kamen to the right. Standing in the middle, Eudial watched as he landed, perfectly in line with Sango and Miroku.

Bunched up like that, she decided it would be best to take them out at once. She lifted her hands before her, a delicate staff in them, the end decorated with a black star, twined in the figure of infinity. "_Fire Buster!_"

A column of flames shot outward and towards the entrance of Crown Arcade, just as Tuxedo Kamen leapt upward and out of the way. Beyond him, Sango and Miroku were broken apart, just as hiraikotsu returned to Sango's grip.

The taiji-ya grabbed onto Kirara's mane, hauling herself upward as the firecat took to the air, coming around again to get a better, aerial position on the three headed serpent. Trapped on the ground, with various allies leaping through the coils of their enemies, Miroku could not pull open the kazaana, on fear of pulling in a friend as well. He watched, running forward towards the three headed opponent, hoping to come up with something as he arrived. If he could get a clean shot from point blank range, he may be able to suck it into oblivion without pulling in Sango or Mamoru.

No bladed attacks. No bladed weapons.

If new heads replaced ones sliced off, then hiraikotsu was nearly useless, in fact making matters worse. Sango seemed to know that, and she and Kirara had adopted a pattern of twisting through the sniping, bared fangs.

Up. Down. Backward. Land. Up again. Twist.

In the air, Tuxedo Kamen was leaping skyward, two roses held between his gloved fingers. He could not stay in the air as long as Sango could, riding on Kirara, but like any of the senshi, seemed to have the ability to get himself up high enough by simply leaping.

Then, Miroku saw what he was trying to do.

But so did Eudial.

"Fire...."

"Kazaana!"

"...Buster!" Eudial shrieked as she was suddenly whipped from off her feet, the attack she sent sliding off sideways and along the ground as she hit the asphalt with an audible smack. On the ground, she spread out, bracing herself against the pulling winds. Miroku could not watch Tuxedo Kamen finish his plan. Between Sango's weaving and his leaping, the three heads were going in multiple directions at once, each concentrating on not hitting the others and reaching their target. As the center head bobbed its way in towards Kirara, he was above it, and threw two bright red roses at it in perfect succession.

The first pierced through the grey scales.

The second shoved the first in through its skull, impacting into its brain in an instant.

It reeled backward, the other two heads snapping around as the center one flung itself backward, going limp between them as Tuxedo Kamen landed on the coils of the thing's body, taking to the air again before one of the other two could bite him off.

In a last attempt to crush Tuxedo Kamen, it whipped its tail upward and around, missing the smaller target. Instead, from behind, it slammed into Kirara, sending the cat tumbling head over tails midair. The sound of the scales impacting on flesh turned Miroku's head, and he saw Sango flung from Kirara's back.

"Sango!"

The kazaana was sealed, and he ran, watching Kirara right herself and land paws first against the building beside the arcade, twisting around to fling herself after Sango, in attempt to catch her before hitting the ground.

"Fire Buster!"

The lance of flame shot through the air this time, straight towards Kirara, forcing her to veer aside. In that moment, Miroku knew he would not be able to reach Sango before she hit the street. It was a despairing feeling, and the shock of it widened his eyes.

Kirara had avoided the fire sent by Eudial, but it was sweeping straight towards Sango. He watched her as she dissapeared into the flames of the Fire Buster attack, now skimming upward, as hiraikotsu clattered to the ground below.

"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

A golden blast of energy rose upward into the air, sailing into the softer underbelly of the single headed snake. It was forced backward, slithering closer towards Eudial at the impact, but the sheer size of it absorbed the attack, as it whipped its tail end around hard, causing both Venus and Jupiter to take to the air. Serpentine reflexes gave it the edge over the two senshi double teaming it, though this time, the two did not have any way to scald or freeze any sliced heads off before they could form. It was a disadvantage the two of them understood.

Keeping its head up and at angles, Venus' lazering Crescent Beam was ineffective, when she tried to slice into its unprotected eyes, to blind it. Then, as it swooped down towards Jupiter, fangs bared, she had tried to send a ball lightning down its throat. It changed its trajectory at the last second, flipping itself aside.

That was what frightened the two senshi the most.

It was learning. Quickly.

They could only see snatches of the battle between Sango, Miroku, and Tuxedo Kamen. As Eudial used her old attack against them and as Kirara and Sango wove their way around the various necks and bared fangs. Miroku distracted Eudial, buying Tuxedo Kamen a moment to put out one of the heads without creating more.

Jupiter aimed again for the thing, shouting up at it for attention. Venus had just taken her turn at it, and they were leaping back and forth to confuse it, keep it guessing, open a chance to take it out. It was scorched from various electrical attacks, the smell of burnt and electrified scales sending up a putrid stench in the air. It took her shouting as bait, and dove downward, golden venom touching the tips of its fangs.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"

It swooped its head upward, while flinging its tail end around. There was an instant before Jupiter saw it coming, crouching and leaping upward to literally use the tail end swipe as a springboard to fling herself over, pivoting midair.

From behind, Venus watched Jupiter land on her feet, powering up for another attack. The snake's head had risen upward, but as she watched, she saw the calculation of the movement, the narrow slope it took to the side.

It was a feint, and it was coming back as Jupiter paused to gather herself again.

"Venus Love Me Chain!"

A fine line of golden, energy filled links sliced through the air, this time not to strike, but to grab. Offense was not working, so she tried defense.

Didn't somebody once say, 'The best defense was a good offense?' For once, Venus decided whoever said that was stupid.

She hauled hauled backward on the chain, screaming to Jupiter as she braced herself against the ground and wishing someone else could help her pull. The whip went abruptly taut, tension racing up through her arms as the thing reared backward.

It pulled up short of its target.

"Jupiter! I can't hold this long!" The massive size of the thing worked against her, and Venus already felt like her arms were being pulled out of their sockets as it struggled against her chain.

Sailor Jupiter was ready, the head of the snake pulled backward, but the thing's underside pulled short of an armslength from her. She leapt forward, hands on the scales, and releasing her power on contact.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

A thousand bioelectric leaves slammed repetitively into it, slamming over and over at the touch. Electricity raced up and down the thing's body, up over its head in crackling, static archs, sending it reeling. Already drawn up to use against Jupiter, its tail swung around across the street, smashing through lampposts and sending up showers of sparks.

Straining against the tension from the serpent, Sailor Venus felt the thing snap back in electrical shock. The chain slipped from her fingers as the snake thrashed, eyes rolling up into its head and tail slinging around from the side. Off balance from the sudden absence of the chain, she was smacked aside by the tail coming around, pushing her along before whipping her into the side of one of the buildings. The impact between the brick wall and the tail knocked all the wind out of her lungs and made her gasp in shock.

Distantly, she heard Jupiter's cry of alarm, as the world began to fade to black.

"Sango!"

As the fire died away, there was a dark mass inside. Someone was crouched in the blaze, becoming clearer as the brightness and acrid smell faded away. Ash was beginning to fill the air, evidence of scorched brick buildings around them. Waves of heat were steadily making the street hazy with a liquid look, the blacktop hot underfoot.

The crackling flames gone, the figure moved, lifting a head and drawing back the folds of a black cloak. Underneath, Sango was crouched, turning a look of pure loathing towards the grimacing face of Eudial.

Tuxedo Kamen was very good at catching flying females, having been in battles with the senshi all too often. His ability to attack may not have been as conspicuous as most, but protecting them in a defensive pattern was his way to fight.

Miroku made a mental note to thank Mamoru later, just as he reached them.

"Are you alright?"

"No time for questioning," Tuxedo Kamen told him. Reaching into the folds of his jacket, he drew out two more roses. "Later. We must remove Eudial from the fight."

There were two corresponding sounds of agreement, but before any of the three of them could move, the two remaining heads of the hydra had regrouped, and were once again swinging their way downward and towards them.

"Separate!" Sango shouted, and they each shot into different directions, Tuxedo Kamen straight up and over, flinging his roses at the backs of the hydra's heads, running down along the coils of the back, making his way towards Eudial as he drew out a cane from his jacket pocket.

Sango and Miroku dove different directions, automatically thinking that it would find itself unable to move if one head chased each of them, leaving it stuck.

Kirara was in the air, swooping around over the sidewalk and avoiding a cascade of broken building that fell behind her. Low, she snatched up Sango, and began to head upward again, just as Sango realized that the plan had failed.

Both heads aimed straight for Miroku, now in the street in front of the store beside the arcade. "Houshi-sama!"

"Sango! Get back!"

She was flying straight downward, unarmed, coming in behind the hydra, Kirara with claws extended. At the last second, she veered aside, seeing him reach for the kazaana. As she pulled upward, turning aside, he loosed the rosary.

Already charging downward, the high dark winds pulled the thing along, it only realizing the danger too late, as one head, then another was sucked inside the void.

But something else was moving, thick body scorched and smoking, straight forward and through the assembled group, blindly charging down the street from the side, just as Miroku wrapped the beads back around his palm.

There was a voice screaming a warning, Jupiter's, a crackle of electricity shot out in a last attempt to strike the thing and turn its course.

The snake that Jupiter and Venus were fighting was in pain. Wild, oblivious pain that sent it rolling, striking and slashing at anything in its way, charging blindly forward with red, sightless eyes. It tore forward, and had Tuxedo Kamen not been faced towards it, he would not have seen it coming.

Landing from the back of the vanished three headed hydra, he met Eudial head on. The Witch of fire had blocked his initial strike with her infinity marked staff, and the two of them parried off, fencing back and forth as Miroku finished off the hydra. There was something strange about Eudial, her face contorted as she blocked his strike. He did not know this number of the Witches 5, or how she worked, relying on secondhand information from the other senshi. He lashed out with his cane, hoping to land a blow to stun her if nothing else. Both fought with blunted edges, but fought as though they were swords, slashing and stabbing.

"You're dead," he told her, hoping to elicit a response.

Her scarlet eyes were dead, empty, though her expression seemed lively enough, brows drawn down in concentration. "Bastard...do you really think you can fight with a Witch and live? I, Eudial, at Level 78 Death Busters, shall defeat you!"

It was then that he heard Jupiter's warning, and saw a ball lightning fly over head, flung at random through the air. It gave him a fraction of a second to leap aside, and though Eudial could not see what was happening behind her, she too heard the warning, managing to leap away just as the enraged serpent charged past where she stood.

"Miroku!" Tuxedo Kamen called in warning, the houshi not watching the street, but how he sealed up his kazaana. "Miroku!"

Another voice lifted to join the first one, again swooping downward from the air. "Houshi-sama! Run!"

He turned just in time to see the single headed snake heading straight for him.

He reached again for the kazaana.

"_Houshi-sama!_"

Something moved across the expanse of street, a blur of aquamarine and white, running into the fray and colliding with Miroku, sending both of them flying into the side of the building, as a blade of blazing golden light covered the arrival of the teal haired senshi.

"Space Sword..._Blaster!_"

Already running wild through the melee, the golden blade sliced through the neck of the snake, sending it reeling upward. From where he landed, Miroku pushed himself upward to see another, unfamiliar looking senshi kneeling above him, ocean blue eyes focused on the battle before her. This one was dressed in shades of blue, with long, wavy, aqua colored hair falling around her waist.

Beyond her, Miroku saw another senshi appear across the street, emerging from one of the alleyways. Dark blue skirt, yellow bow, short, sandy blonde hair and a very annoyed expression in her eyes. She was holding an intricate sword, still gleaming bright yellow from the attack. A smug expression was settling onto her face, obviously under the impression she had just defeated the youkai she was facing.

The smile faded away rapidly when she saw the thing rear back, neck frothing fleshily as it continued to writhe. Her brows drew down, again ready for battle, hefting the sword up once more for a second round.

"Uranus! Stop!" Jupiter was screaming as she ran forward, an arm out to stop the newcomer from making matters worse. "It replaces with more!"

Sailor Uranus' eyes widened, and she halted her attack as thin lines began to sprout from the hydra's neck. Behind them, there was the sound of high pitched laughter, and both of the newly arrived senshi turned to see Eudial, laughing with a hand to her mouth, enjoying herself throughly at their helplessness.

"Crescent..._Beam!_"

From beyond the street, behind Eudial and Tuxedo Kamen, from beyond Jupiter, still running, Sailor Venus was on her knees, one hand on the ground for balance as she held up her other hand, aiming straight for the thing's emerging heads across the distance. The reaching stems of neck slowed, the flesh reproducing slowly as the skin began to congeal under the pressure of the Beam. Slowly, the formation of the heads stopped, and the laughter from Eudial died away as it toppled to the ground, cracking the asphalt and sending up chunks of rock around its body.

A moment later, Sailor Venus collapsed.

"Venus!" Tuxedo Kamen was moving, running to check on the fallen Soldier of Love.

Several sets of angry faces turned on the Witch, who was standing amid the litter of the street, a hard expression on her features. She gripped her infinity staff in her hands, preparing herself for the onslaught of attacks that were about to come her way.

"World Shaking!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

Uranus and Jupiter's attacks streaked outward, a globe of yellow, planetary light charged up with a bolt of crackling electricity.

Eudial was in the air, leaping upward and over, while countering the attack with "Fire Buster!"

They negated each other, burning away into the street and leaving char.

Again standing, Miroku watched from the side as his rescuer drew a beautifully carved mirror out of the air, watchfully observing the one who was being called Sailor Uranus. When the orb of light left that senshi's fingers, the woman waited a moment, then held the mirror up, the reflective surface brightening in the shockwave of Uranus' and Jupiter's attacks.

"Submarine Reflection!"

Liquid light emerged from the mirror's surface, headed straight for Eudial, still midair. The Witch was unprepared for one assault so rapidly after the other, and was struck, flung wide as the senshi's attack hit her.

Then something strange happened.

Eudial pulsated once as she landed, looking up as though unharmed, though half of her face was scraped away. Something began to grow there, budding in tiny leaves through an emerging, cruel smile.

"World Shaking!"

Again, a globe of golden light flashed out from Uranus' hand, tearing up the ground before her as Eudial stepped to her feet, her staff lost. The aim was true, tearing into Eudial and vanishing as it passed her by. But the full force of Uranus' attack revealed something else. Eudial began to grow, roots and vines forming out of her shorn arm, and her body began to revert to something inhuman. Jupiter recognized it from when they had first fought her. Her red hair faded into a mass of snakes, her body growing dull and thin and bony, the true image of a daimon. But the blast from the World Shaking should have been more than enough to kill her, on top of the Submarine Reflection.

Sango and Kirara had landed while Uranus and Jupiter had attacked Eudial, Sango taking the moment to snatch up hiraikotsu and arm herself again. The senshi's attacks were harming the Witch, she could see that. But there was something distinctly familiar about the way the Witch named Eudial was reacting to their blasts. The attacks, though injuring, were not causing any true damage. She was just transforming under the beatings.

For their fight so far, they had tried not to cut their opponents, under fear of making things worse. But the familiarity was making her certain.

This was not what they thought it was.

"Kugutsu!" Sango called out, bracing herself for a throw. "Hiraikotsu!"

The boomerang sliced through the air as roots began to emerge from Eudial's body. Sharpened edges of hiraikotsu cut through them neatly, severing them as it struck straight through Eudial's chest.

The mass of dirt and vines that had become Eudial's body shuddered as hiraikotsu impacted, breaking apart and falling to the ground in a heap as Sango ran forward, catching her weapon as it returned. She heard footsteps beyond her, following, then several sounds of feet running to the place where Eudial fell.

With a grimace, Sango kicked aside some of the clumps of dirt, reaching in towards the center of the thing, and a moment later, found what she was looking for.

In its center was a puppet, broken in half by the blade edge of her boomerang. Made of hardened, carved wax, it resembled the woman they had just destroyed, delicately painted with red and black tempra colors. A single black hair was twined around the poppet's chest.

"It's a kugutsu," Sango stated flatly, hard voiced. "More detailed, but unmistakably like Naraku's."

There were people around her now, crowding to see what she was talking about as she headed out of the dirty mess that remained of Eudial. Sailor Jupiter presented herself first, and being a familiar face, she showed her. "Kugustu. Puppet. Someone else was controlling her from another end. This wasn't the person you knew before. It just looked like her. That's new, but then I've never seen a poppet that was made to look like someone specific before."

"Crap..." Jupiter muttered darkly, picking up the broken piece. "The hair is the link between the two?" she surmised as she pulled the strand off.

"Yes..." Sango agreed quietly as she turned to face the two newcomers. Jupiter called one Uranus in the middle of battle, but the other remained nameless, the one who ran out to save Miroku.

"I see we've missed a hell of a lot while we've been gone," Uranus said as she took her turn looking at the waxen doll. "Pluto didn't exactly say much on the phone. I'm Sailor Uranus."

"Sailor Neptune," the other one introduced, bowing her head gracefully for a moment and turning to Miroku questioningly. "Are you all right? I didn't mean to knock you aside so hard."

"I appriciate your attempt to rescue me. My thanks. I'm Miroku, servant of the Buddha and to lovely lady senshi."

Neptune lifted an eyebrow, smiling at him. "Ah, a servant of the Buddha? Are you not supposed to shun the world in exchange for enlightenment?"

"I only wander to gain enlightenment by aiding my fellow man...."

That was interrupted by a snort from Sango, who was also shooting Miroku a dirty look. Uranus as well was looking somewhat annoyed at the monk, her Space Sword still in hand. Sango's reaction caught Uranus' attention, and she glanced at the dark haired girl beside her. "You're pretty good with that boomerang. You are?"

"Sango," she said, "a taiji-ya," she added after a moment, hefting hiraikotsu in explanation. "That thing was a kugutsu, houshi-sama, if you didn't hear it."

"I did. The same as Naraku?"

"Close enough."

"Naraku?" Jupiter asked, looking uneasily from taiji-ya to houshi. Anyone with a name like 'hell' sounded pretty bad to her. "Someone from your time?"

"Time?" Uranus and Neptune both exclaimed, taken aback. Neptune recovered first, managing, "Pluto brought someone from the future? Willingly? What's going on that we've missed?"

"Past," Jupiter told them with a frown, suddenly noticing something as she looked at the circle of people talking. "Where's Tuxedo Kamen?"

That alerted everyone, and they began to look around. There was no sign of the masked man, but Sailor Venus was lying unconscious on the sidewalk, blonde hair pooled around her head.

"Venus!"

Sango and Jupiter ran towards her, Kirara heading after Sango. Uranus, Neptune and Miroku remained where they were, each frowning.

It took Miroku a moment to ask; "Why would he leave the scene of a fight?"

There were grim expressions on Uranus and Neptune's faces. "Where is the Princess?"

"Princess?"

"Princess!" Uranus demanded, looking angry and turning on Miroku. "Sailor Moon! Where is she?"

"The Usagi one? She was going to study with Kagome-sama and the Ami girl at Kagome-sama's home."

Miroku stood his ground when Uranus began to press forward on him, still aware that she was holding her sword in her hands and looking very agitated. "Where does 'Kagome-sama' live? Tell me! Now!"

"I do not see why you insist on growing upset-"

"There's no time for stupid games!" Uranus roared, and a restraining arm came down in front of her, as Neptune barred her path. The teal haired senshi looked every bit as intense as Uranus, but appeared to be better at reining in her temper.

"Where is the place, houshi? Tuxedo Kamen does not leave unexpectedly unless the Princess is in danger. Your friend Kagome may be in danger as well."

Miroku glanced over at the unconscious form of Venus, and of Jupiter and Sango huddled around her. Jupiter was picking her up, carrying her lightly as Sango turned towards Kirara.

"Higurashi Jinja."

Uranus and Neptune barely glanced at each other before they were running back the way they came.

"Sango," Miroku called, "this may not be over yet."

She glanced at him as he approached, gesturing at Kirara. "But we killed the..." she began, then thought about what he said. "Kagome-chan and Inuyasha?"

"Yes. We'd better find our way back to Kagome-sama's home."

"I know how to get there," Jupiter told them, glancing at Kirara. "But I'm not leaving Venus-chan here. The police will be on their way soon, and people will hear the quiet and come to look. We'd better get going. Can she carry us all?"

Kirara growled at the implication she wasn't strong enough, turning to the side and dipping a foreleg to allow Jupiter to set Venus on her neck.

"If Kirara thinks so, then she can," Sango told them as she carefully began to set hiraikotsu back into its 'subspace pocket.' Jupiter was nodding, guessing that Pluto had worked something out for her as it dissapeared. After a moment, Sango slid in behind Venus, Miroku behind her, then Jupiter squishing everyone forward so she didn't fall off the tails. "Is it far?"

"No. Just try to follow Uranus and Neptune."

"All right. Kirara!"

They took to the sky.

~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake

"Yes..." Sango agreed quietly as she turned to face the two newcomers. Jupiter called one Uranus in the middle of battle, but the other remained nameless, the one who ran out to save Miroku.

"I see we've missed a hell of a lot while we've been gone," Uranus said as she took her turn looking at the waxen doll. "Pluto didn't exactly say much on the phone. I'm Sailor Uranus."

"Sailor Neptune," the other one introduced, bowing her head gracefully for a moment and turning to Miroku questioningly. "Are you all right? I didn't mean to knock you aside so hard."

"I appriciate your attempt to rescue me. Arigatou. I'm Miroku, servant of the Buddha and to lovely lady senshi."

"Arigatou, houshi-sama. I'm glad you were all right."

"Thank you. You were worried for my welfare?"

Neptune smiled politely. Saving people was her duty as a senshi, after all. "Yes, of course."

"Then I have a favor to ask you," he began, taking up her hands and looking into her eyes. "Will you bear my child?"

Sailor Uranus and Sango both turned battle-aura-red, flames shooting from their heads in raw fury.

Sailor Neptune, however, began to give this some deal of consideration, thoughtfully tapping her chin with a finger. "Hm, well, I don't know. I'm still in high school, but then I suppose I did help raise Hotaru-chan well. Haruka and I have talked about having a child someday, though if you're insistent about it being now, I suppose I could talk to Haruka about it."

Miroku was a little puzzled over the response. First, she didn't try to beat him down in any way, and second that wasn't exactly an outright 'yes.' So that left him with the inevitable question of: "Who's Haruka?"

"I AM!" Sailor Uranus roared, whipping out her Space Sword and hefting it high over head. "GET AWAY FROM MY MICHIRU!"

Miroku: looking between Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune and realizing something Ohhhhhhhh......

Sailor Uranus: DIE, HOUSHI!!

Miroku: hides behind Sango

Sango: sweatdrops I was wondering if something like this would ever happen after meeting Jakotsu....

Terms of note:

kugutsu- puppet used by Naraku to create a duplicate of himself

Naraku- translates to 'hell'

henshin yo- time to transform

Enjoy the omake? ^.~ Bwahaha, I bet you were all waiting for that...I was trying to think of the funniest senshi for him to ask, and I decided on Neptune. For some reason, I don't think he'd ask Uranus...and the Inners.... Miroku doesn't really hit on taken women (Usagi) and...Rei would flame him, Makoto would either pound him or electrocute him, Minako...I have NO idea what Minako would do...(and that's a scary concept in and of itself....) and Ami would probably blush purple and stutter until Makoto and Rei jumped in to rescue her. Hotaru is a bit too young, and I don't think he'd go after Setsuna either...too aloof. Michiru though seemed perfect, due to Haruka and her fondness for flirting. Bwahaha....

I've got to dedicate this chapter to my friend Mina Maxwell. Look! I CAN write long battle sequences!!!

Just for the record, Sango's comment in the omake about Jakotsu was just for laughs. The _Inuyasha_ storyline takes place pretty much outside of normal timelines, though the _Sailormoon _line is standing right on the brink of the Stars arc. At the time of writing this, the Shichinin-tai storyline is _still _ongoing for the Inuyasha group, so let's say the Inuyasha-tachi are from some nebulous non-time before that arc begins.

Also, the kugutsu. Naraku has always sent his to look exactly like him. Fiddling with the original concepts for this fic, I thought an interesting twist would be to make the kugutsu look like someone/thing other than Karasu (as the maker) herself. Having watched the Death Busters while the senshi defeated them, she/I decided to go ahead with making her kugutsu look like a member of the Witches 5. Makes things a little more interesting, and I didn't see why they _couldn't _look like something/one else.

Which leaves me with sending a thank you to Sango-sama for helping to clarify on Naraku's kugutsu and how they work. ^_^ Arigatou!

As for what's happening with the others...?

Tune in next week for chapter 13, 'Distortions.'

Til next storytime.

~Queen

.com/users/iceaffinity/

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 13: Distortions-

...the voice on the other end was odd, somewhat tinny, the way a cell phone would sound and the voice echoing, as though in a large room. A puzzled frown began to crease Kagome's face as she mentally raced to identify the voice. The others had suddenly quieted at her serious expression, drawing silent and watchful.

"Yes...this is Kagome."

"Excellent. This is Karasu."

An old enemy reappears- is it real, or just an illusion? Two absent senshi return to find themselves in the middle of an impossible battle...and the answer to the question...which senshi will Miroku ask to bear his child? Another omake with a NEW chapter 12!


	14. Distortions

_Of This World and Yesterday_

_Until the sands of time see through our eyes_

_We could be lost perhaps forever_

_But there's space in the air_

_And it's ages till sunrise...._

_-Nature's Kingdom, Lyrics by Kirsty Hawkshaw_

*

Chapter 13- Distortions

Sunlight fell in a square patch on the floor, brightening the room with afternoon light. The door was open a crack, allowing the voices of the people in Kagome's room to drift downstairs on occasion, though their conversations were generally kept muted.

There was a desire to let the Higurashi family know that the 'peer tutors' that came home with Kagome were nothing more than that. Mrs. Higurashi seemed somewhat startled at their appearance, not so much that her daughter was getting help studying- reasons for that were clear enough- but that Inuyasha seemed to be perfectly fine with it. At least as fine as Inuyasha looked about much of anything. In his human disguise, Mrs. Higurashi could see little reason to question it. The same went for Shippou, who conveniently made his tail, paws and pointed ears disappear in front of the two girls. He'd spent most of the day that way, though still in his clothes from the sengoku jidai...though on a child, it was not nearly as conspicuous an outfit. Just another cute little kid, though Shippou still insisted he was not cute. On top of the human appearances of the two youkai, and the fact she was used to strange events coming and going around her household, Mama just let it pass.

Souta and Jii-chan lost interest in the newcomers fairly quickly, Jii-chan going out to sweep leaves from the sidewalk, Souta to play video games. From inside Kagome's room, Inuyasha's ear would twitch occasionally, hearing one of the various bad guys fall to one of Souta's heroes. It was more interesting to listen to than the drone of schoolwork that was taking over now.

Most of the way home had been spent discussing their situation with Usagi and Ami. The two senshi, meeting them at Kagome's school after they were released, were startled at the realization Kagome came to the previous night; Karasu knew who they were. Worried glances were exchanged. Then, Usagi turned solemn blue eyes on them and said; "That's not good. But there's not much we can do about it, until we find out where she is, or until she makes a move against us. We've fought exposed before, when Nehelenia came with the Dead Moon Circus. She attacked us each individually...this'll be the same. She can't gain anything by telling people. If she does, then we'll deal with it when the time comes. Someone's bound to find out someday, sooner or later anyway...."

Inuyasha glanced out from under his dark bangs, looking from girl to girl, sitting in a lopsided circle on the floor of Kagome's room. Books were spread around them, pencils and paper with scratches for numbers scrawled on them. Kagome continuously tapped on a small thing called a 'calculator' to get answers, while Ami seemed to be able to come up with the same numbers just by thinking. Usagi, like him, seemed utterly lost by the entire process, and even the calculator wasn't helping much. Shippou had just lost interest after a few minutes, popping back into his usual, kitsune form and sprawling out on Kagome's bed with another interesting bit of modern media, something called a 'magazine.'

"Ami-chan?" Usagi was asking, "is this right?" the odangoed Moon Princess was scratching at the side of her head, then tugged at her hair a bit nervously as she waited for Ami to check her answer. The blue haired girl leaned over, turning away from Kagome to scan the sheet for a moment. A smile formed on her face hesitantly, then bloomed.

"Yes, Usagi-chan. Second try, too. You got it."

"Yes!" she cheered, happily taking her paper back and erasing her doodling calculations in the paper's margin. "I'd better clean it up to hand in...thanks, Ami-chan."

"Okay, I'm lost again," Kagome sighed, setting down her paper. "This is my worst subject...thanks for all the help...you really don't need to do this too...."

"Oh, it's no trouble...with everything going on, school worries are the last thing we need on our minds-"

"Ami-chan!" Usagi gasped, scandalized. She leaned forward and pressed a hand to Ami's forehead to check for a fever, as the other girl backed away laughing. "Last thing? Are you feeling all right? Are you sick? Did she get to you?"

"Usagi-chan, you didn't let me finish!" Ami scolded, lifting a finger in warning. "School is very important, but worrying about failing entrance exams should not be weighing on your mind while fighting. Best to get studies completed ahead of time, so that you're prepared for anything that may come up."

"Yeah...it's so easy to get behind though...." Kagome sighed, running a hand through her hair and biting her lip. "I don't know how you guys can keep up...."

"We study at Rei-chan's all the time," Usagi told her with a nod, holding up a pencil. "Even I passed the entrance exams. Together, we can fight even the deadliest battles."

"You make it sound like your 'exams' are harder than fighting youkai," Inuyasha sniffed, shrugging and looking out through the window in boredom. He didn't see Ami stifle a smile, or the annoyed look Kagome was giving him. However, he, and everyone else, heard Shippou say:

"Well, then why don't you show them how easy it is?"

The kitsune was looking up from his magazine, watching for the reactions. Usagi was wide eyed, looking back and forth for the reaction. Ami folded her hands in her lap, tilting her head to the side and waiting for Kagome to speak. Kagome, of course, thought this was a grand idea, her eyes narrowing mischievously in mock anger. "Inuyasha...Ami's a great tutor...why don't you have her show you how, and then you can try fighting the geometry that I'm having trouble with?"

"Feh!"

Inuyasha realized he was somewhat stuck. Over the course of the last few minutes, Kagome had repetitively called her homework a monster. Usagi called it various kinds of things; dumb, mean, evil, horrible, a nightmare...and he wasn't at all under the impression Kagome was stupid, so he doubted Usagi was exaggerating too much. So maybe math was a hard beast to kill. Normally, he would have no problems beating up a monster, but one that existed on paper was another deal entirely.

"Shut up, Shippou."

"I was just saying," he shrugged and flipped a page. "You always say school is stupid. Why don't you try it instead?"

"I like the idea," Kagome said, reaching over and tugging on Inuyasha's sleeve, hard enough to pull him over. "You're doing my math problem."

"Feh!"

"I'll show you how," Ami told him, scooting closer to Usagi as Inuyasha was dragged into the circle, looking generally pissed. "It's not so hard, really. It's just geometry, not trig. We're doing triangles."

"This is stupid."

"It's not stupid," Ami chided him gently, handing him paper and pencil as she slid the textbook onto her lap. "Here."

Kagome leaned closer to watch over Inuyasha's shoulder as Ami began to explain. Not wanting to miss any of this, Shippou abandoned his magazine for the security of Usagi's shoulder. She looked a bit startled for a moment as he peeked out from under a lock of her blonde hair, but then they exchanged grins, both aware this was going to be good.

"All right. We're finding the area of an equilateral triangle with a side of eight centimeters. That means all three sides are equal in length, like this," with her pencil, she sketched in a triangle on his paper. "Follow?"

"Uh...yeah."

Ami glanced at his face. The hanyou was concentrating hard on what she was doing on the paper, but was obviously lost already. Probably once she got to the word 'equilateral.' Part of her wanted to play along with the joke, confusing him and saving Kagome some worry later. Another part wanted to go blow by blow, to see if he could actually follow it. "This is about eight centimeters. Each side, all right? Equilateral...equal sides. Like a delta in the Greek alphabet."

"Feh...like I know what a delta is."

She suppressed a smile, biting her lip. He was worse than Kami when she first arrived. "The area can be found by using the equation," she wrote it down, "1/2bh...one half base times height. So you multiply this, by this."

"I've got it," Kagome said, picking up her calculator and typing it in. "Then I get mixed up."

"Next, you draw a perpendicular line from the apex...the point..." she tapped a finger on the tip of the triangle, "down to the middle of the base forming a right angle...there."

Kagome was scribbling in her notebook, while Inuyasha just sat still and stared at the white paper, remarking on how nicely Ami could draw triangles.

"This is where we use the Pythagorean theorem, ne?"

"Yes," Ami agreed, writing down, 'a(^2)+b(^2)=c(^2)' on Inuyasha's sheet of paper, Kagome copying the formula. "Let 'a' be half the base...that's four centimeters... 'b' is the height...and 'c' is eight centimeters, the hypotenuse of the right triangle. Kagome, can you plug that all in?"

Kagome was already tapping away, and Usagi and Shippou leaned forward to see what she came up with, while Inuyasha sat stock still, wishing he was fighting some big, random youkai instead.

"Forty-eight...which is...6.92820323...so then...twenty-seven point seven centimeters squared?"

"Correct," Ami told her, and the two girls exchanged smiles of triumph.

"Ami-chan's awesome, I told you!" Usagi exclaimed, as Shippou leapt over to see the correct sheet of paper. "You should teach this stuff."

"I already do," she laughed, settling back to relieve her numbing feet from her kneeling position. After a moment, she sighed, "I wonder how the others are coming. They must be all at the Crown by now...."

"Just so long as Miroku-sama keeps his hands to himself, I'm sure they'll do fine..." Kagome commented, setting down her calculator and taking the notebook away from Inuyasha, who was looking grumpily at Shippou now, for suggesting the math lesson in the first place. "We'll have to finish up here soon and catch up to them."

"Yeah...Rei-chan said she'd be late too today," Usagi told them smugly, thinking of all the times Rei scolded her for her tardiness. Though of course, that was usually because she was either eating or sleeping, not heading home to help her Grandpa with shrine chores. "She'll be meeting us there later-"

Usagi was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Inuyasha and Shippou both started at the sound, but calmed after a moment, reminding themselves of an incident last night when the house received a 'phone call' from something called a 'stupid telemarketer.'

From downstairs, they heard Mama's voice echo up, "Kagome! Phone!"

"Got it!" she called, twisting around and reaching up for the phone on her desk, pulling the cradle along with and lifting the receiver. "Mama! I've got it!" she lifted the phone to her ear and heard her mother hang up on the opposite end with a click. "Hello?"

"Ah, Kagome? Higurashi Kagome?"

Kagome was expecting it to be Yuka, Ayumi or Eri-chan, calling to talk. She'd get rid of them quickly, saying she was studying. That was true enough...though the voice on the other end was odd, somewhat tinny, the way a cell phone would sound and the voice echoing, as though in a large room. A puzzled frown began to crease Kagome's face as she mentally raced to identify the voice. The others had suddenly quieted at her serious expression, drawing silent and watchful.

"Yes...this is Kagome."

"Excellent. This is Karasu."

Kagome's half gasp pulled everyone up straight, Ami lunging across Inuyasha to grab the receiver, as her blue mini-computer popped out of subspace. On the papers and textbooks, she began to link the two, scrambling to crack open the plastic cover on the back of the phone and link the two. Usagi began to make broad gestures at Kagome to keep Karasu talking, to buy Ami time to trace the call.

"You have my phone number?"

"Oh yes," the voice continued absently, the background still making her voice hollow. There was also a weariness to her voice, and Kagome mentally registered the information. But she was already continuing, "I hate to resort to these terrorist-type tactics, but I really do hate it when my schedule gets thrown off. If I were you, I'd duck down."

Click.

Ami sighed in irritation as her computer bleeped, then registered the words, "Trace Incomplete. City: Tokyo. District: Juuban. Street: Unconfirmed Data. I have a supercomputer and I still can't get a lock."

"What'd she say?" Shippou queried.

Kagome blinked at the dial tone emanating from the receiver. "She said...duck down?"

"Duck..." Ami began.

"...down?" Inuyasha finished, and then the two of them launched themselves forward, Inuyasha grabbing Shippou by the tail and smashing the protesting kitsune down, as he flattened himself on top of Kagome. Ami had made the same movement, shoving Usagi onto the carpet and covering their heads with her hands, just as there was an explosion from outside, the force of it rocking the house and shattering Kagome's window into a hurricane of crystalline shards.

Under Inuyasha, Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, waiting a moment for the air to grow silent from the tinkling falls of glass. The quiet drifted in slowly, and she slid out from the protective dive, scrambling over the ground and screaming, "Mama! Souta! Jii-chan!"

A moment later, she was in the hallway as sounds began to erupt behind her, Shippou shouting questions, Inuyasha snarling for him to shut up, and then the sounds of two female voices lifted at once.

"Mercury Crystal Power! Make up!"

"Silver Moon Crystal Power!"

Still in the hallway, moving to the stairs, blue and silver light poured through her open door, streaming past Kagome and showing her moving shadow on the steps below.

Souta was in the doorway of the living room, huddled down with his hands still over his head and eyes shut. Behind him, one of the windows had been blasted inside, and their floor, sofa and television sat in a pool of glass. Souta had been moving when the explosion went off.

She bent down and pulled his arms away from his face, shaking him slightly to make him look at her. Large eyes turned upward, and he looked too shocked to react. "Souta! Souta, where are Mama and Jii-chan?"

"I...in...the kitchen..."

"Souta, come on, we're going to go get Mama and Jii-chan. Come on," she pulled at him, dragging him along and out of the living room. "Inuyasha! Shippou-chan!"

Inuyasha was already moving along the hallway as Shippou leapt down the steps. "It came from the back?"

"Yes!"

"The other two are out there now," Inuyasha told her as they entered the kitchen, Kagome still hanging onto Souta, partly for reassurance, partly to comfort him. Mama and Jii-chan were crouched beside the countertop, the windows in the kitchen having faced away from the side of impact. Food was cooking on the stove, the smell of fish just beginning to char from over exposure, and a bottle of soy sauce had overturned, dribbling over the table.

"Mama? Jii-chan?"

Two sets of eyes lifted upward, "Kagome? Kagome! Are you okay?"

From the floor, Shippou looked up at Inuyasha as he frowned at the family reunion, the group checking on each other and making sure they were all right. The hanyou was back into his normal form, white hair and red kimono melting away as he ran after Kagome as she ran out for her family. "Inuyasha...what was that?"

"I don't know," came the reply, and his frown deepened. A hand strayed to the hilt of Tetsusaiga, palming up the blade to readiness. "I don't hear or smell anything...it must be gone now. I'm going to head out to find the other two. Stay here and keep an eye on Kagome and them."

"I will...."

He turned and ran through the house, heading outside to where the two senshi stood. At first, he thought he was correct. The thing was gone. Each sailor suited soldier of love and justice had her back to him, neither in battle positions, though the Mercury one was again fiddling with that damnable computer thing of hers. Sailor Moon, however, had a hand to her mouth, and was staring at what lay before her.

After a moment, Inuyasha followed her gaze, and suddenly felt his blood run cold.

The wellhouse was gone.

***

In its place stood rubble, the smoking rubble of wooden planks that gave off a bitter smell, mingled with the smoke from the explosion. Splintered fragments of dirt and wood lay strewn around the epicenter of the thing, blackened and with bits of fire hemming the edges, embers burning slightly as the wind began to pick up char and send it into a thin, hazy film in the air that clogged his nose.

Very, very quietly, he heard Mercury murmur a word to Sailor Moon, a strange, unfamiliar word he did not know or understand.

"...bomb...."

"You're sure...?"

"Yes...readings say plastics...concentrated in one place...she's targeting things...she could have killed us...I'd like to know why not...but...."

"The well!" Kagome cried from behind him, and both Inuyasha, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury spun to see her and Shippou standing at the back door, slowly walking forward, face paling with each step, until she was a ghastly shade of white, eyes round and turning from the destruction to Inuyasha, then back again and again. "Inuyasha...the well...."

Shippou was clinging to Kagome's shoulder, arms buried in her hair, wrapped around her neck tightly as she reached the hanyou, grasping his hand for reassurance. For a moment, the three of them simply stood there, looking beyond the silhouettes of the senshi, their shadows streaking back across the stones of the courtyard.

Another shadow joined theirs, a new arrival that bobbed and darted across the ground, growing still after a moment and solidifying into the shape of Tuxedo Kamen, who hesitated as he saw the situation. The danger he sensed was momentary, past already, but the consequences were becoming profound.

After a long moment, he moved forward slowly, sending glances at Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippou. His entrance into their line of vision broke their gazes, and instead they began to look at each other, as though asking, 'now what?'

"Usako...?"

Both girls turned to look up at him, exchanging glances on the way. After a moment, Sailor Mercury tentatively began, "Karasu called Kagome. She must have found out about the time traveling and traced it here...Kagome and Inuyasha said they thought she knew about us...then she had to know about the well too...."

"Can't we just talk to Pluto? She can re-establish something like that, can't she?" Sailor Moon suggested, clasping her hands together hopefully and looking from Tuxedo Kamen to Sailor Mercury for confirmation of her idea.

"In theory..." Mercury murmured, casting a blue eyed glance towards the other three. They were silent again, now facing each other uncertainly. "But...we'd better talk to her first...."

"The others should be on their way by now," Tuxedo Kamen told them softly, keeping his voice low so it would not carry towards the other group of three. "We had a run in with Eudial."

"Eudial!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, then covered her mouth with her hands. "Eudial?" she repeated, quietly this time. "How? She's...."

"Dead. Sango called it a 'kugutsu,' a puppet, right before I left. With more of the hydra creatures. Uranus and Neptune are back. We'd best call everyone together. Figure out what to do. Weaver, Saturn, Chibimoon and Pluto are absent, and Venus was injured."

"They're here," Mercury said, pointed skyward as she spotted Kirara coming in from very high, to better escape notice. From the ground, two more figures leapt to the top of Higurashi jinja's torii, a sword and mirror each in hand. "Kagome's family won't stay inside forever...."

Calls were coming forward from the sky as Kirara swooped downward, and shouted from Uranus and Neptune as they approached, shouts of "Is everyone all right?" and "Princess?" echoing forward.

Uranus and Neptune moved closer to the other senshi there, checking to see what had happened, if everyone was all right, as Kirara landed in the courtyard, Jupiter sliding off quickly, being precariously balanced on the end. Sango was still cradling the unconscious Venus while clinging to Kirara's mane with her other hand, stiffening slightly when Miroku's grip on her waist suddenly went very tight.

"Houshi-sama!" she began, swiveling around and releasing Kirara to smack him. Miroku, however, was looking far beyond Sango, face blank but eyes fixed on something before him. The expression was so strange that she turned forward again, trying to follow his vacant gaze. It took barely a moment for her to find what he saw. After a moment, she breathed, "The well...oh gods, the well...."

Jupiter was pulling Venus out of Sango's arms, the blonde mumbling as her eyes fluttered open, then closed again. Easing her to the ground, Jupiter called over her shoulder, "Mercury! Tuxedo Kamen?"

The two with medical training turned their heads, Mercury breaking away and heading over to help as Miroku and then Sango slipped off of Kirara. Both seemed somewhat stunned, Sango with a hand pressed to her mouth. Smoke was still steaming up from the wooden boards, scattered on the ground across the courtyard. She took two rapid steps forward, as though to check on the ruin, then stopped, the futility of the thing giving her pause. From behind her, Kirara nudged her hand, which slowly wrapped itself into the firecat's fur.

Uranus and Neptune stood close to Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, now satisfied that any attack was over. They took in their surroundings, assimilating the situation and the shock registering on the faces of the strangers. "Sailor Moon...Tuxedo Kamen...who are they?"

Keeping her voice low, Sailor Moon pointed each in turn. "The girl is Kagome...the kitsune is Shippou-chan. Inuyasha with them...."

Neptune gasped out, "He's a youkai!"

"Hanyou," Tuxedo Kamen corrected her quickly, "and not an enemy. The others are Sango, a youkai exterminator, and Miroku, a-"

"We've met the houshi and taiji-ya," Uranus said somewhat sourly, glancing sideways at Neptune. "Pluto didn't say much, but they said they're from the past...what the hell is going on, and why are they all staring at the blown up building?"

"That was the portal to their era," Tuxedo Kamen informed her, glancing at the destruction. "We'll need to contact Pluto and the others, get them here and figure out what to do now. The well inside opened a distortion into the sengoku jidai, and Kagome has been traveling there, collecting shards of a magical jewel, the Shikon no Tama."

Uranus' frown deepened, the golden glow of her sword fading somewhat as she deliberated, thinking. "Who blew up their timegate?"

"A Death Buster," Sailor Moon said, almost inaudibly. "A Magus calling herself Karasu."

"Death Buster?" Neptune murmured, drawing her mirror closer to her, then tilting it back to look across the reflective surface. Her face looked back at her, somewhat pale. "A new one? Pharaoh 90 is dead, Mistress 9...."

"Hotaru hasn't..." Uranus started worriedly, glancing around for the younger girl. "Hotaru hasn't...where is Hotaru?"

"Safe. Probably home," Sailor Moon fidgeted, looking from the various faces of the time travelers. Kagome was slowly walking forward, almost dreamily, towards them. Inuyasha walked beside her, a frown on his face as he clutched at the hilt of Tetsusaiga. It was reassuring, somehow, to make a familiar gesture. As the three approached, Sailor Moon began, "Kagome...."

"It was a bomb, wasn't it? She planted a bomb in the wellhouse shrine...."

"Yes," came the reply, Sailor Moon's voice laced with sympathy. "I'm sorry...we should have kept better watch on your home...."

"I didn't even smell it...if she sends this 'bomb' thing back, I'm going to..." he thumbed up Tetsusaiga meaningfully. Kagome rested a hand on his arm for a moment, shaking her head.

"No, Inuyasha...the bomb...it's not a person....it's a thing. A trap...you've seen things like it before...made out of gunpowder?"

"But wouldn't we know if there was gunpowder around, Kagome?" Shippou asked, disentangling himself from her neck and peering curiously towards Uranus and Neptune, then leaping to the ground. "We'd smell it or something. Smells like volcano rocks or something. Sulfur. I remember."

"Modern explosives don't require that kind of thing," Uranus said, sizing up the three of them. "She wouldn't even have to be nearby to set it off. Remote detonators can do that kind of thing, or timers. The right chemical compounds, and she could have blown the entire jinja away."

The casual reality of that sunk into Inuyasha and Shippou's heads for a moment, as Kagome bowed hers, squeezing her eyes shut a moment and fighting back tears. The well was gone. The well was _gone_. She could see a dug out crater before them, bits of rubble and soil rolling downward into the mess. It was precisely targeted; just enough to destroy the wellhouse. Nothing more, nothing less. No more trips to the past. No more hunting the shikon no kakera. No more fighting Naraku. Inuyasha, Shippou, Sango, Miroku...all were there with her, and for that she was glad...but it was wrong. All wrong. There were times she wondered what it would be like, to see what they thought of her time, to have them as guests; she knew that was off limits, something that should never happen...but it had. But this was not how she wanted it to be.

Resisting tears, she looked up again, determined, meeting Uranus' eyes. "I've met senshi from all planets but two...which one of you is Uranus, and the other Neptune?"

The tallest of the senshi replied, "I'm Sailor Uranus."

And the woman beside her finished, "And I am Sailor Neptune. You are Kagome, then?"

"Higurashi Kagome. Shippou-chan, and Inuyasha."

The two of them bowed slightly in greeting, as someone called out, "Kagome-chan?"

Lifting her head, she saw her mother, Jii-chan and Souta edging their way out of the house slowly, looking around as they moved. The scene before them was a confusing one, the destruction of their home, the time displaced friends, and a handful of the mysterious Sailor Senshi. Jii-chan suddenly slapped his hands to his face, looking horrified as he noticed the missing wellhouse. "My well!"

Mama was slowly walking forward, her usually neatly combed hair was slightly disarrayed, and she held a hand up to her chest, worried. Jii-chan and Souta followed her, Jii-chan mourning the destruction, Souta looking at the various senshi in awe. At least until he noticed Kirara suddenly, and then he stared at the youkai cat instead. Senshi were human, after all. Not every day you saw a giant two tailed firecat.

Her eyes wide, Mama looked at the group of people her daughter was standing with. It took her only a moment to figure things out, glancing at Sailor Moon, then around again and spotting Mercury, who was kneeling beside Venus. "You...and the other girl...the tutors who came to help Kagome...that's you two...."

"Eh..." Sailor Moon giggled nervously, glancing at Uranus and Neptune, who both had very serious expressions. The Outers were unlikely to take things such as revealed identities as lightly as the Inners, and she hoped they wouldn't do anything hasty. "Sorry, Higurashi-san. It's kind of a long story...."

"I see..." she murmured, nodding and folding her hands in her lap. Then she peered a bit closer at Sailor Moon, who backed up a step at the scrutiny. "Are those wings real?"

"What? Oh! Well, sort of," she said, half turning around to appraise her wide white wings, which sprouted from her waist. She never did really understand why they came from there, but then she'd never really had much say in what any of her fukus looked like. "They come with the henshin."

Mama was nodding thoughtfully, and the others in the group were staring, Inuyasha rolling his eyes as Kagome buried her head in a hand. Flashbacks to the first time anyone met Inuyasha...at least Mama hadn't tried to tug on the wings the way she had Inuyasha's ears.

"Cool!" Souta exclaimed, moving forward and looking up at Uranus. She arched her eyebrows, glancing down mildly. "That sword is awesome!"

Uranus looked slightly bemused, shrugging as Neptune chuckled lightly. "It's my Space Sword. And yes, it is rather awesome."

"My well!" Jii-chan repeated for about the fifth time, eyes glazed over as he contemplated the loss of part of his shrine. "We'll have to rebuild it...."

"Higurashi-jii-san," Neptune smiled, stepping in front of the man as he began to head forward. "Your well was destroyed by a very dangerous enemy of ours. Rebuilding will have to wait until the area is safe again."

"What enemy?"

"Senshi business," Uranus snapped, but at the same time, Tuxedo Kamen spoke.

"A Witch, who we have been fighting with recently. Neptune is correct. This area is no longer safe. We thought she would not target your family, but it seems we were wrong."

Through this, Inuyasha was scowling. A tinge of guilt was starting to lay on his shoulders, the feeling that this was his place to protect, his territory that had just been invaded and attacked. And he had been able to do nothing. Fury was welling up slowly, rage at the bitch Magus Karasu of the Death Busters.

"You mean leave?" Mama asked, looking from face to face. "Leave the jinja? If this...Karasu...woman is trying to hurt us...."

"She's after this," Kagome told her mother, drawing out the Shikon no Tama on its chain. "The shikon no kakera I have. She's targeting me. Us. All of us."

Souta edged closer to his mother, and she placed her hands on his shoulders lightly. He'd seen what the Noh Mask could do, tearing into their house after the thing Kagome had. More youkai around was not something he was looking forward to.

"Is there somewhere you can go, Higurashi-san?" Neptune was asking quietly.

Mama glanced down at Souta, then at Jii-chan, exchanging looks with them. "I...I suppose we could find a hotel...."

"What about another jinja?" Sailor Moon asked suddenly, eyes lighting up. "Somewhere else in Tokyo? I mean, you're a shrine family, wouldn't another one take you in? That's charitable and everything, I'm sure they would! There's another one in Juuban! Why don't you tell them something and see if they'll board you for a couple days?"

Tuxedo Kamen put a gloved hand on Sailor Moon's shoulder, trying to warn her to keep her excitement to a minimum. The others seemed to have picked up on the idea as well, and its benefits. They could easily get in contact with Rei before the Higurashi's left, and with things as they were, having a senshi around to keep an eye on things could be beneficial. Hikawa Jinja did not have a wellhouse, nor did it have anything else to target.

"You mean old Hino's jinja?" Jii-chan was saying, smoothing out his beard as he considered that. "Heh! Pop up on his door. I remember him. I think he's got a granddaughter about your age, Kagome. We could try that...give the Hino's a call and say something like Kagome's sick and she's catching...."

"Or the house is getting fumigated!" Souta chimed in excitedly.

Mama, however, had turned to look at her daughter, who was standing there silently through the debate on excuses for arriving at the Hino's doorstep. "Kagome-chan...you won't be coming with us, then, will you?"

"I'll be okay..." she tried to smile, the grin faltering. The concept of putting her family in danger was one that she did not want to contemplate. Mama, Jii-chan, Souta...any of them could have been caught outside in the blast range. Because of the shikon no kakera she carried. Because of Sango and Miroku-sama, who were uncertainly gazing between the ruin and their group of speakers. "I'll be with friends. I'll call. And...well, I'll call...it's just til we get rid of this Witch, Mama...."

An unreadable expression crossed her mother's face, then it slowly broke into a wide smile as she reached out an arm and drew Kagome into a hug. "My little girl, helping to save the world. I'm so proud of you."

That, Kagome had not quite expected, but was somehow glad to hear.

"Thank you, Mama...."

She released Kagome, looking at Jii-chan and Souta, who were still debating the idea of what excuse to tell the Hinos. "Jii-chan. Souta. We're telling them our wellhouse shrine was attacked by vandals, and we're installing some security." Mama glanced along the line of new faces. "That's true enough. Come on. Let's get some things together to take with, and Jii-chan, you can call Hino-san."

Herding the other members of her family together, she began to usher them back towards the house. "Inuyasha..." Mama called over her shoulder a moment later. The hanyou's ears pricked up, swiveling around as he turned to face her. Kagome's mother was smiling softly as she scooted Souta along, the dimming sunlight gentle on her face. "Bombs are considered a cowardly way of attacking. No honorable enemy would use such a dirty trick." She smoothed a bit of her short hair back into place, and met his eyes squarely. "Be careful."

Then, swiftly, she turned away and followed her son into the house.

* * *

drumrolls

It really feels odd...it's only at this point you've hit the main stride of the fic. So far, it's all been setup until Chapters 12 and 13. Things start getting tangled from here, weaving in and out. At the moment, I'm ready to start work on chapter 28...wai! If 28 paces the way I think it will, then it will be chapter 28 out of a total of 29 chapters. So I'm almost to the end. One of the things I dislike though about posting before the fic is complete (such as in this case...this is the first time I ever have....) is that I get to see more of the series as it's coming out, and it alters little bits of the fic. Once posted, it's harder to go back and change a plot point...it's not a big alteration, but there's a tweak I decided to do in chapter 28 that I wasn't going to do before. You'll see when you get there....

In the manga, Usagi uses 'Silver Moon Crystal Power' to transform on the Eternal level rather than 'Moon Eternal! Make up!' of the anime. At least that's what she uses in the English translated manga, which is what I'm looking at now. Chibimoon uses 'Pink Moon Crystal Power' in comparison.

As for Inuyasha's doing homework...hehehe...bwahahaha...personally, I'm terrible at math, so I must thank Mina Maxwell and Miss Chiba Usagi for going through their textbooks and picking out a math problem for me. Arigatou! Anyway, I thought it'd be funny to make Inuyasha fight a different kind of evil creation for a change, (that being geometry....) and mess with his head. evil grin

Mama Higurashi's seeing the senshi...at first I wasn't sure how she'd react. Then I thought about how understanding she seems to be about Kagome's time travelling, and how she first reacted to seeing Inuyasha. (Tugging on his kawaii ears. ^-^) So I just paralleled it with her meeting Sailor Moon. Originally, I thought I might have the senshi already detransformed in the scene. This replaced Souta recognizing Haruka and having a fit because for some reason there was a famous racer at his home. Of course, that didn't work out right, so he just comments on the Space Sword instead. ^.~

Well, that's it for this week.

Til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 14: Manipulation-

Kagome felt it happening before anything else, and from the corner of her eye, saw Miroku also suddenly jerk forward. She was moving without thought, an arm out as though to ward off what was coming....

Inuyasha doing geometry?! No, this isn't an AU fic! Conned into doing some math by Shippou and Kagome, Inuyasha discovers the perils of homework, while Kagome recieves a strange phone call, resulting in the loss of something very important....

Inuyasha doing geometry?! No, this isn't an AU fic! Conned into doing some math, Inuyasha discovers the perils of homework, while Kagome recieves a strange phone call, resulting in the loss of something very important....


	15. Manipulation

_Of This World and Yesterday_

_I wake up tomorrow_

_Brand new_

_A little tired_

_But brand new_

_Brand new_

_I'll be brand new tomorrow_

_-Bjork, Pluto_

_*_

Chapter 14- Manipulation

"Wow, your Mom's understanding," Sailor Moon said as the woman disappeared from sight. "I hope my Mom doesn't mind when she finds out I'm Sailor Moon."

"She doesn't know?" Kagome asked curiously. Then she glanced at Tuxedo Kamen, who was looking away, and an uncomfortable Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. "None of your parents know?"

That earned a derisive snort from Uranus, and Kagome wondered what her family situation was. Then she remembered that this was one of the ones who lived with the other senshi, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Saturn, and Dreamweaver all in the same home. They must not have families, she realized. At least, none to speak of.

"Oy, Kagome!" Jupiter called from where she was half holding up Venus. She and Mercury had the semi-conscious senshi standing between them, looking somewhat ill. "Can we take Venus inside to lie down a bit? She got hit pretty hard when we were fighting."

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" Kagome exclaimed, heading towards her house and motioning for them to follow her. "She can sleep as long as she likes."

"That's not a good idea," Mercury told her with a small smile, keeping pace with Jupiter. "She can sleep for a very long time if you let her."

Kagome let a smile slide onto her face as she held the door open for the other two, disappearing inside.

From beside them, there was a swirling of firelight, and there were startled glances as they saw Kirara shrink inside a ball of flames, then leap up into Sango's arms. "Neat trick," Uranus commented. "Can that one talk too?"

"No, but she can fight," Shippou told her, craning his neck up and backing away a step to see the woman's face. "That's Kirara."

"We'd better contact Rei," Tuxedo Kamen reminded them. "So she's not too worried when her Grandpa gets a phone call from Higurashi-jii-san."

"I've got it!" Sailor Moon announced, holding up her wrist and stepping out of their small circle of speakers as Sango and Miroku finally approached them.

"Kagome-sama's family took the situation well?" Miroku began. The troubled look had not left his face, and had one of them looked, they would have seen a tightly clenched right fist. "The well is completely destroyed?"

"Feh..."

"Yes...." came the trailing answers.

"Miroku-san, Sango-san, Inuyasha, Shippou-chan," Neptune told them, "We'll discuss things with Pluto. With a timekey, you will be able to return to your own era. Don't panic just yet."

A bit of hope lifted Sango's face, though Miroku's remained steadily grim.

"We'll contact them once Sailor Moon is done talking to Rei," Neptune continued, including the other absent senshi along with Pluto. Things will work out, don't worry."

"I already did!" Sailor Moon beamed as she turned around, closing her communicator wristwatch. "Kami-san says that they're on their way now, and Rei-chan says she'll get everything ready at home. She'll make sure Grandpa lets them in."

"Then all we have to do is wait."

"Right," she agreed, then winked at Inuyasha. "Makenai, Inuyasha! We won't lose. Pluto will get things set up for you again. It's not like Karasu has the ability to manipulate the Gates of Time."

"That's good news," he muttered darkly, still mulling over what Kagome's mother told him. There was something else suggested there. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself. There's no way you could have known. Don't worry. Be careful. Take care. "The babaa tried to take my head off when-"

"Babaa?" Uranus suddenly chortled, realizing he meant the ageless Meioh Setsuna. "Sets? An old hag? Oh, I bet she just loves that...."

"Uranus," Neptune warned, half mockingly. "Don't start teasing Setsuna about her age."

"Why not?" came the laughing reply.

Neptune was shaking her wavy haired head, knowing Uranus would never change. "Have I told you you're incorrigible?"

"Not today," she replied flippantly, teasing back.

Inuyasha was watching these two talking with a slight frown growing on his face. "Uranus and Neptune, you said?" he asked, and the serious tone made the partial smiles on their faces fade away. "You two are the ones Kagome said attacked the others at that concert thing." His brows drew down slightly in suspicion. The lighthearted conversation and the fact there was no reaction to their presence now was reassuring, but he wanted to know what exactly had happened and why. Discrepancies were something he did not want to worry about, such as these 'Outer Senshi' betraying then in the middle of a battle. The ones calling themselves 'Inners' seemed to be too close knit for any kind of subversion, but if these two were willing to attack the others, he wanted to know about it. "Somebody named Mimi something. Called herself a Witch too."

"Mimete," Uranus spat with distaste. "One of the Death Busters, the lowest member of the Witches 5. She disguised herself as some teen idol named Mimi Hanyu to collect the Hoste of her fans. And yeah, I did attack them," she finished bluntly, looking Inuyasha in the eyes. "They were in our way."

"We were not," Sailor Moon muttered, folding her arms and pouting a little. "We just weren't working together yet. And you kept going on about how it was your job to fight the Death Busters alone. If we hadn't worked together, I'd never have reached Super level when I did. You wouldn't have powered up to Super level for the first time either when we fought." After a moment, Sailor Moon seemed to realize what Inuyasha meant by asking about Uranus and Neptune, and she lifted her eyes. "Uranus and Neptune aren't going to turn on us in the middle of a fight, Inuyasha. Didn't you ever make friends with someone who first tried to attack you?"

Sango coughed lightly then, and Inuyasha glanced at the taiji-ya, remembering how she had been under the impression he was the one who killed the people in her village. Then again she worked against them when Naraku first threatened her with her brother Kohaku. Though Kohaku remained an uncertain point, anything short of her younger brother was unquestionable.

"Feh," he replied, getting the idea and eyeing the two senshi opposite him warily.

"We're not offended," Neptune smiled gently, resting a hand on Uranus' shoulder. "If that's all you'd heard of us, it's an understandable precaution."

Inuyasha shrugged, glancing towards the house. Through the windows, he could see movement in the upstairs bedrooms, of people scurrying to gather their things. Something round and pink floated upward through his vision, and he backed up before Shippou bumped into him in his balloon transformation, huffing and puffing his way upward and into the air, slowly floating out over the destruction. "Oy! Shippou! Watch what you're doing!"

"Just...checking...the hole...." he huffed as he floated out over the remains. "I'm...light enough...to...land!" he popped back into normal form, landing lightly on one of the boards jutting upward. "Waaah!" he shrieked as it shifted, then stopped, settling into place with his slight weight added. He sighed in relief when it stopped, and began to look around.

"What's is look like from there?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, stepping forward and trying to see. Though Sailor Uranus was tall, he was still slightly taller, and had the best view otherwise.

The kitsune peered forward cautiously, ready to return to the balloon if his perch turned unstable again. There was a dent in the ground before him, still ringed with the base of the wooden building that had been built around it. Some splintered boards still jutted outward in an uneven square in the epicenter, the stones inside the well providing some stability to the link between worlds. A few of these stones were broken apart, laying around the inside, which was sunk in, not really a crater, but scooped.

What was once an empty well was filled in. His best guess was that the 'bomb' thing went off inside the well itself, the stone sides acting like a canon, blasting out the wellhouse even as it destroyed the inside of the well, filling it in with rubble.

"It's all filled up," he called back, "all sunk in." Glancing over his shoulder, he looked at Sailor Uranus, since she'd been the one to say things about the bomb before. "How big can a bomb be? Can it be carried in by a bird?"

Uranus shrugged, shaking her head. "Possible, if small enough, I guess. Why a bird?"

"Karasu apparently has a raven youkai as a familiar," Miroku provided. "We'd best catch everyone up, while we wait for the others to arrive, and Kagome-sama's family to leave for the Hikawa Jinja."

***

They spent a few minutes talking, mutely exchanging stories of how Uranus and Neptune had been detained in Europe, of how they arrived home, only to have Michiru wonder where everyone was, and check her mirror in time to see Eudial sparring with the senshi in front of the Crown Arcade. They dumped everything in the hallway, transformed, and ran as fast as they could to help, arriving in time to knock Miroku out of the way and to slice off one of the hydra's heads. Setsuna must have been frantic when she got home, finding luggage scattered around, and Sailor Moon told them when she spoke to the Time Guardian on the communicator, she was back at the Arcade, holding Artemis and wondering where everyone had disappeared to, the fight being over and the place swarming with emergency crews.

In exchange for that information, they swapped tales of how and why Sango, Miroku and Shippou were brought forward, why Inuyasha was there and what the Shikon no Tama was, its importance and why Karasu could be after it, as well as who and what Karasu was. Inuyasha explained, in a very edited way, about the attack she caused in the sengoku jidai, and of how she almost took Kaede's Hoste in an attempt to synthesize her youkai Vessel and her daimon spirit.

It was about then that the Higurashi family emerged from the house, Sailors Mercury and Jupiter trailing behind them, Venus somewhere inside resting. Kagome slowly hugged her family good-bye, promising to call that night, and then remained still as they began to walk out of the jinja, Sailor Jupiter following them as Kagome and Mercury headed back towards the group.

"Jupiter is going to make sure they get there okay," Mercury told them softly as the family descended the steps and vanished from view. "Make sure nothing follows them to Rei-chan's." She glanced from one face to another, and lightly touched the pin on her bow. Soft, liquid blue light coursed around her, and her fuku melted away, leaving Mizuno Ami in place of Sailor Mercury. Others glanced from one to another, and imitated the movement, elemental powers and planetary representations fading away to return them to a more normal appearance.

"I guess that leaves me with the question of where I'll be tonight then," Kagome murmured as she came to stand beside Inuyasha. Shippou leapt over from Miroku's shoulder, where he decided to sit after returning from his explorations of the wellhouse, to Kagome's shoulder. She smiled and hugged him lightly for a moment.

Michiru sidled a bit closer to Haruka, elbowing her lightly in the ribs. "Well, Haruka, do you think we could squeeze one more girl into the house tonight, if Sango-san has been staying there already?"

The taller girl sighed, shrugging. It seemed like they were running a hotel at the moment, with everybody jamming in every which way. Michiru had a big house, which was a good thing, but even big houses could only be filled to such a point before overflowing. They didn't seem to have any solid answers as to what Karasu was after, only theories, though the forerunner seemed to be that she wanted Kagome's shikon no kakera. Therefore, the place with the best protection was the most viable spot for the girl and her jewel fragments to stay.

A house packed with a taiji-ya, a youkai firecat and a horde of Sailor Senshi was going to be considerably safer than anywhere else in the city.

"Guess so. Can't get much safer than that, if this Karasu woman is actually after the shikon no kakera things you told us about."

"I'm staying with Kagome!" Shippou announced, and Kagome shook her head with a sigh. "I don't take up much room!"

Inuyasha frowned, not liking this very much and suspecting that he might get booted from his job of protecting Kagome. "Feh! I'm not leaving Kagome alone to get killed with a kid and a bunch of women-"

That particular comment brought out a furious maelstrom of female protesting, sending Miroku and Mamoru backing out of the angry crew of women around them, both having sense enough to stay out of it.

"We are certainly capable of protecting-"

"After all the fights we've been in, you think I can't defend-"

"Hey! Women can fight back just as well-"

"How dare you suggest that we can't protect our home-"

Then, into the midst of it all: "Osuwari!"

Splat.

"Bitch...."

Everyone suddenly became silent as Inuyasha was body slammed into the ground, face first. Heads huddled around, peering downward as Inuyasha began to twitch in attempts to peel himself off the ground. Then everyone turned to stare at Kagome, who was glaring at the flattened Inuyasha and fuming.

Ami held a hand to her lips thoughtfully, biting her lip as she remembered something. Kagome had done that once before, when they very first met. Then, of course, there had not been time to question the power of the word 'sit' on Inuyasha. Wide eyed, she asked, "Osuwari?"

A brow twitched in irritation, and Kagome folded her arms, looking away. "Osuwari,"

Splat. Again.

"Bitch!"

Continuing, she ignored him, saying, "is a command Kaede-baachan gave me the power to do. The necklace around his neck drags him down whenever I say it. He misbehaves..." she held up a finger, returning her gaze to Inuyasha. "He gets it."

Inuyasha growled, pulling himself up to his feet again and glowering at the ring of women around him. "Then where exactly am _I_ supposed to go?"

"Welcome to the bachelor's club," Mamoru said, waving weakly at the hanyou and gesturing for Inuyasha to join him and Miroku at the fringes of the circle of women. Mamoru made a mental note to have a talk with both of the time displaced boys on the proper etiquette of talking to women in the 21st century. Particularly women who were Sailor Senshi and possessed the ability to variously ice, drown, shock, electrocute, set on fire, or generally blow up someone who got them angry enough. And of course if Miroku asked Usagi to 'bear his child' he'd take care of the houshi himself, though he got the feeling Miroku didn't chase taken women.

"Haruka-papa! Michiru-mama!"

The call from behind startled everyone out of their musings on the power of 'osuwari,' and heads were lifted to see the approaching missing members of the senshi team. Setsuna, Kami, Hotaru and Chibiusa had just crested the steps leading into the courtyard, and Hotaru had a hand in the air, waving to her recently returned adopted parents, as Luna and Artemis hurried forward, Diana draped on Chibiusa's shoulder.

"Oh..." Kami murmured, growing still on seeing the destruction and pressing a hand to her mouth in dismay. "The well...."

Setsuna was scanning the group, looking from the collapsed wellhouse to the group standing before the remains, a small frown increasing on her features as Hotaru and Chibiusa stared openly at the wreck in surprise, Diana leaping off the pink haired girl's shoulder to take a step closer.

"Usagi-chan," Luna began, padding over towards the girl with a worried look and peering upward. "Setsuna-san says Eudial returned? How is that possible?"

"Oy, oy, here we go again...." Haruka sighed, putting a hand to her forehead as another round of explanations were given, catching everyone up. Halfway through the story, Artemis realized Minako was not among the group, and when they got to the point she was slapped by a rather large hydra tail into a building, the white tomcat turned tail and ran into the house, glad the door was still slightly ajar to admit him.

***

"Setsuna-san," Kagome asked quietly, glancing towards the explosion site, "is it possible to re-establish the warping? I know you didn't want to bring anyone else forward, but we have to be able to at least send them back...and I can't just...well...I can't _not_ go back anymore...we need the well...."

The Guardian of Time and Space had remained silent through the repeated tale, knowing where this was going since she stepped up onto the jinja's courtyard and saw what had happened, and its extent. During the last few days, she'd given the matter a considerable amount of thought; at first she simply admitted to herself the presence of Sango, Miroku, and even Shippou was necessary. So many people made things complicated, but if it was as they said, Sango was the one to recognize the kugutsu, showing them how to defeat it. She knew how Uranus worked. The senshi of the wind would have simply pounded away at the thing until she thought it was dead. Uranus was strong, but her methods were rather direct. Without Mercury there to analyze the situation and find a weakness, who knew what could have turned out?

Of course, they needed to go back.

That well was more than just a portal. It was the visible link and familiar path between worlds. To destroy it was to destroy morale as well. The attack was two-pronged in that respect.

Handing them a timekey was dangerous in and of itself. Even accompanying them and taking it back once the trip was over, Kagome would need one. She could not be allowed keep one with her. As much as she hated to think of it this way, the girl had already broken, even if by accident, something as dangerous as the Shikon no Tama. Kagome seemed a generally responsible girl, but the Shikon no Tama was normally locked in a linear timeline. Sending it into the flotsam and jetsam of the timestream was not appealing. Researching into her old logs and journals, peering through the mists, Setsuna couldn't help but get the feeling this was _right_ somehow. Sense and logic screamed it was wrong, the taboos rendering it forbidden. And yet, she herself had broken all such rules. Should the timekey fall into the wrong hands- say this Naraku person the others spoke of- the end result could be of infinite proportions.

They could not stay here.

A timekey was out of the question.

Each of the senshi recognized what Setsuna began to do, tilting her head back and lifting up a hand to the air. Out of politeness and habit, they each edged away, ones closer to one of the time displacements urging them backward as Setsuna started her henshin sequence.

"Pluto Crystal Power! Make-up!"

Lavender light flowed out of her fingertips, absorbing her figure in an orb of luminescent brilliance, fading away after a moment to reveal Sailor Pluto, armed again with her Timestaff in hand, lightly tapping against the ground.

"Amazing..." Kagome managed, actually seeing one of the senshi transform for the first time. The aural light had been nearly blinding, and she blinked a few times to clear her eyesight. The sheer enormity of Pluto's power began to register for the first time, as well as the responsibility that must come with it. Each of the senshi carried that, in various forms. Kagome thought she should feel small, but for some reason, she didn't. Glancing from face to face along the line, Miroku-sama beside Sango-chan, Inuyasha beside her, Shippou there with them, she felt oddly content. They stood together the same way the senshi did, slightly apart, unified though not distant. They fought their own battles.

Turning her head back to the matter at hand, she watched as Sailor Pluto began to step among the rubble, high heels delicately clicking on the stones where she placed her feet, avoiding the splinters. Determining she was close enough to the epicenter, the woman paused, red sunlight streaming along past her and touching her frame as she looked around herself. After a moment, she took a breath and lifted her Garnet Orb into the air. Though it was not faceted, it caught the sunset glow, pulsing lightly as she began to speak calmly in a clear, dusky voice.

"Chronos, Father of the Guardian, split open the heavens. Tear through the wall of..."

Kagome felt it happening before anything else, and from the corner of her eye, saw Miroku also suddenly jerk forward. She was moving without thought, an arm out as though to ward off what was coming.

"...time...and...."

An aura of overwhelming blackness suddenly stormed up from the ground at Pluto's feet, a ebony ribbon of energy swirling upward in fluctuating arcs, spiraling around her as she attempted to rasp out the last word of her command. It failed, trailing off into a twisted scream of pain, the Timestaff slipping out of stunned hands and clattering to the ground as she writhed, alarmed cries of the senshi joining Pluto's as they too rushed forward, attempting to get to their friend.

From a step behind her, Miroku had reached into his shirt pocket, withdrawing a single ofuda and hurling it at Pluto, it hitting her just between the shoulder blades. The black energy surrounding the older woman sputtered, expanding as everyone hesitated, half backing away as it resisted the banishing power Miroku hurled at it. After a moment, the ribbon of negative aura spluttered, fading and crackling out.

With almost infinite slowness, Pluto sank to her knees, her Sailor fuku melting away as she lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground in silence.

A single, horrified cry went up. "_Pluto!_"

***

Kagome and Miroku were already in motion, falling down beside the limp body of Meioh Setsuna. Sparks of black electricity still crackled around her with a static charge, and a deep, pained frown creased her face, brows knotted together and lips drawn tightly. Emerald hair spilled around her head, falling across her cheek. Miroku was pulling her from her side to her back as Kagome pushed the hair aside, checking for breath as the worried senshi began to crowd forward. Absently, Kagome felt glad when she heard Inuyasha raise his voice, shouting, "Oy! You want to smother them? Back up and give them some damn room!"

From beside her, she saw another set of hands appear, Ami's, quickly moving and her computer scanning. "She's breathing," Kagome told her, earning a curt nod as the blue haired girl looked at her readings, then back again at Setsuna.

Questions were sounding behind them, out of several throats at once, querying how Pluto could be attacked, and from where and how. Michiru's voice was exclaiming that there was nothing there to attack, only to be buried under a downpour of further questions the teal haired senshi could not answer.

Miroku reached into his pocket again, drawing out another ofuda and gingerly laying it on Setsuna's lips and chin. The pained expression relaxed slightly as she slipped into a deeper sleep, spiraling down into a blackness. "Some sort of binding," he muttered, voice low enough for only Kagome and Ami to hear him.

"Binding?" That, louder, brought others attention, now to bear on the houshi. Miroku was shaking his head and leaning back on his heels where he knelt, sighing. "I'm not sure. Some kind of binding on her powers...a moment before she finished her casting, there was some kind of backlash...."

Chibiusa was edging her way forward, finally managing to break her way through all the people. Kagome had pulled the fallen woman's head into her lap, pillowing it for some comfort. "Puu...Puu's all right, ne? Ami-chan?"

The other girl leaned back, checking her readings. A small graph recorded her heartbeats, slightly too fast from shock. "Accelerated heart rate. Otherwise...it's like there's nothing there."

"Then she'll be okay, right?" Chibiusa persisted, kneeling down at Setsuna's feet and biting her lip. Behind her, Mamoru leaned down and placed a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. "Right?"

Ami remained silent. Nothing wrong, and she was registering only the signs of exertion. Nothing physical to contend with. Chibiusa took her silence, paling to whiteness and looking away.

From where she stopped, Sango knelt down beside Miroku, peering a bit closer at his closed face. "Houshi-sama. What do you mean, 'binding?'"

He sighed again, looking mildly annoyed as he thought it through. "Something to prevent her from using her powers and re-opening the portal to our time. First the well is destroyed, then the other route to the past is cut off. I didn't sense anything amiss here, either, Michiru-san," he added, glancing at Michiru, in reference to the questions the others asked her earlier. "Nor did Kagome-sama. It only activated when she used her powers."

Sango shook her head, holding up her wrist slightly. "But wouldn't it have started earlier, with my bracelet and hiraikotsu? Pluto made it-"

"No," a voice commented from behind, and Sango turned to see Kami shaking her head, hands folded and against her chin. Wide lavender eyes were sad, denying it. "She showed me how...my power is what allows for the pocket warp. I wanted to help...."

The bracelet gave off a pale lavender aura, gleaming faintly in the sunlight. Diana padded her way next to her princess, Chibiusa running a hand over her soft fur. "What about the henshin? Mom?"

The grey kitten's eyes switched from Setsuna to Luna, who was sitting on her haunches beside Usagi. "Transforming is a display of power, but more of a summoning than an actual usage. Opening the Timegate...that is Pluto's magic."

"Either way, it'd be best to get her inside and comfortable," Kagome told everyone, deciding to take charge. They could sit around and debate what happened all day, and that wasn't accomplishing anything. She began to stand, careful not to let Setsuna's head fall to the hard ground. "Inuyasha, can you help me?"

He was already moving, stepping around Ami and scooping Setsuna up as the others backed away to give him room. She was curled up in his arms, head turned in and long hair sweeping down, a floating blue skirt flapping down towards the ground, centimeters from the courtyard. For a babaa, she looked unnaturally young then, younger than the years she supposedly lived. "Where?" he asked lowly, and Kagome stood, dusting off her knees and leading everyone back into the house.

* * *

Terms of note:

makenai- I won't lose!

Hm, this was another one of those not-much-happens-but-connects-important-stuff-together kinds of chapters. Pluto's binding happened a few chapters back- remember, that was just _yesterday_ to them, while it's been a few chapters for us, and feels like its longer. This was the result of Karasu's spell.

I'm really turning the Outer's house into a hotel...almost everyone seems to be staying there now....o.O;

And Kagome finally got to explain 'osuwari' to the senshi...lol. The only other time she's used it was when they first met, and she kept him from picking a fight with the three senshi after the first hydra attack. Not a good time to explain why 'sit' bodyslams Inuyasha. ^.~

Originally this was going to be a part of chapter 13, but then the chapter would have been really long...so I split it in two. Hope you don't mind. ^^;

Ja ne!

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 15: Enduring-

If it was destroyed, then the time displaced group would have an additional problem. Getting home. The present was probably fun to visit, but it was unlikely they'd want to stay there. Telling one of them to simply 'cheer up' would not work....


	16. Enduring

_Of This World and Yesterday_

_Wish the moon to fall and alter our tomorrow._

_-Angeles, Enya_

_

* * *

_

_Moon has fallen._

_Will moon rise again?_

_-Last of the Amazons, Steven Pressfield_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 15- Enduring

On the lip of the pool, Karasu rested her head, the cool stone hard under her cheek. Her straight black hair was rumpled, matted on one side from being smashed against the desktop in her lab. Binding was a fairly clean-cut task; the process itself was simple, a poppet, some ribbon or thread. But to place such a spell on someone as strong as Sailor Pluto was more than draining. Despite that, there was work to be done, and Karasu had managed to pull herself from the dregs of a dream, pulling open black eyes and going about her business with all the precision of a robot.

Obviously, she needed to know the power levels of the new arrivals. No use using something more creative than one of the hydra creatures. It was just a test, after all, nothing serious. A game. Though it did provide opportunity for her to test out her newest spell, an imitation and adaptation of one she saw long ago. Kugutsu, it was called.

In her hand, there was a broken poppet, the center of it freshly sliced through from a strand of her ebony hair. The poppet itself was shaped as a Witch called Eudial, the form she had taken when arriving in this world from Tau Ceti. Of the group of Witches Kaolinite led, Karasu had watched Eudial closely; she wasn't the most powerful of the group, but she was rather clever, very hardworking, a thing Karasu could respect. The one named Viluy was the same way, though the two had contrasting powers.

But it had worked. Overall, the test run was quite a success. She had the information she needed to work now. Blearily, she dropped the broken halves of her kugutsu to the ground, yawning and rubbing a knuckle in her eyes, removing sleep. She was still in her lab coat, muscles sore from the awkward sleeping position at her desk. She'd been working long hours, and binding Pluto was taxing. She'd bought herself some time by preventing Sailor Pluto from interfering any more. No more time traveling. That was good.

She didn't like using a bomb, but it really was the easiest way to do things. Nothing major, a small explosive that Evermore had been able to deliver. No clever crows flying around Higurashi jinja the way there were some at Hikawa. The family didn't even bat an eyelash at seeing a bird flying around, not noticing its presence or the boxy object in his claws.

Her eyes slid to the image in the water, shifting and floating through the shallow depths. The one named Kagome was talking, and the hanyou was moving to pick up the fallen Meioh Setsuna. Karasu yawned again, pulling herself upright and attempting to focus on the scene before her. She would need to know where they were going, and sound wasn't exactly one of the scrying pool's advantages.

A fluttering of wings drew her attention momentarily away from the assembled groups. Evermore was landing on the pool's rim, shaking his wings and folding them back, beady eyes peering down into the water as well. "Ah, Evermore..." Karasu sighed, sinking back a bit and reaching out with a hand to stroke the bird's feathers. He ruffled them and squawked at her, chiding. A thin smile formed on her lips, and she petted him. "So sorry, Evermore. I never did clean you up from those nasty temple crows yesterday, did I? How's your wing?"

Indignantly, the offended bird tossed his head, lifting a wing to let Karasu see the faded injury. New feathers poked out of the flesh, still slightly pink from healing, but closed.

"Sorry, Evermore. I got a little upset, didn't I?" she petted him again, coaxing, and he slowly calmed under her ministrations, making quiet chittering sounds. She smiled, pushing herself up onto her knees, then unsteady feet. "You need to eat?"

Her response was a flash of mental imagery, and a feeling of a contented stomach. Evermore did his own hunting in the alleyways of downtown. "Good...good..." she sighed, relieved she wouldn't have to stay up much longer. She wanted sleep, in her own bed. Shakily, she unbuttoned her white lab coat, slinging it over the back of her chair and making her way across the lab, towards a glowing green 'Exit' sign. In the distance, she could hear the flapping of wings, evidence her familiar was circling, following her as she keyed in the code to open the door.

It slid back, revealing an elevator, and she stepped inside, a whoosh sounding as the door closed again, admitting Evermore at the last moment. The top floor of the building was swept clean, neat marble tiles gleaming slightly red in the evening sunlight, pouring in from the windows on the room's opposite end. Through them, she could see the empty space down the street, where a tall building once stood. A place called Mugen Academy. Now, it was forgotten, the land recently marked with a large sign declaring it was going to be made into a city parking lot. She sniffed, heading across the bare floor and into what should have been a corner office. Instead, it was a makeshift bedroom.

"Evermore...keep an eye out, won't you?" she asked as she pushed open the door to her room. The soft bed in its center looked quite inviting, due to current weariness. Slipping out of her heels, she glanced at him as he perched on one of her dressers, hopping over a stack of cd's. "Keep an eye on things...just watch. Make sure everything is going right. Do try to avoid those mean beasties at the Hikawa Jinja. No more pecking."

As Karasu collapsed into the soft folds of her bed, she saw Evermore leap up, turn on a wingtip and fly out of the room. So she closed her eyes and slept.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Aino Minako groaned. Her back was numb, and she still had the remains of a headache. It was fading, and she was glad of that. Blinking, she turned her head, finding herself in an unfamiliar room, though with the figures of some familiar people. It was a living room, and she was stretched out on a couch, her blonde hair spilling over the side of the cushions and touching the ground. One of the figures heard her groan of awakening and turned her head to watch as Minako gathered herself together and sat up.

"How are you feeling?" Hotaru asked, a pensive expression on her face. She was kneeling beside a reclining chair, occupied by a sleeping Setsuna. Chibiusa was settled in one of the room's other chairs, knees tucked up to her chin and with her thin arms wrapped around them. Diana sat on her head, worriedly looking down at the pink haired future princess.

Somewhat disconcerted, Minako put her feet tentatively on the ground, looking at the different girls there with her. "All right," she decided after a moment, wincing as a final shot of pain lanced through her head. "I got bodyslammed, didn't I?"

"Into a brick building," came the reply from Diana, then she grew silent, as though afraid to upset Chibiusa by talking too much.

The expressions on both of the youngest senshi worried Minako, though in the distance, somewhere upstairs, she could hear the sounds of people moving and talking, feet on the floorboards of the house's upper level. Her blue eyes focused on the slumbering senshi of time, her face somewhat tense in her sleep.

Chibiusa was depressed. Hotaru was kneeling beside her 'mama.'

A vague feeling of fear began to roll over Minako. "What happened to Setsuna-san?"

Her head lowered, and Chibiusa hid her face in her arms. Diana slipped around her shoulder and purred in an attempt to cheer her up. It was Hotaru who replied, purple eyes sad. "After you were knocked out, Mako-chan, Sango-san and Miroku-san brought you here...Karasu destroyed their well." Minako's eyes widened as Hotaru hesitated, folding her small hands in her lap. She was still dressed for school, eyes downcast. "It seems to have sealed up the temporal distortion. Setsuna-mama was going to reopen it for them, but something happened." Her gaze slid to the sleeping form beside her. "Miroku-san says it was some kind of binding spell on her powers. They backfired on her somehow." Hotaru lifted her hands, looking at the traceries and patterns of chains and lines on her palms, crossing the supple skin, slightly callused from practice with her Glaive. They were gentle hands, better made for healing than killing. Though the senshi of Death she remained.

"Kagome's family is going to be staying at Hikawa Jinja. They don't know about Rei, unless they guess. Kagome's going to stay with us...Inuyasha with Mamoru-san. He and Usagi went to make sure everything was okay with Kagome's family...Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama went home to get the car, so we can take Setsuna-mama back. Artemis was here for awhile, but Luna said they should go check on the remains of hydra at the arcade, since you were all right. Nobody'd notice a couple cats with so many people looking around. The others are helping Kagome get her things together upstairs." As she finished speaking, Hotaru lifted somber eyes to meet Minako's, her empty hands uplifted slightly. "I've been trying to heal Setsuna-mama. Ami said there wasn't anything wrong with her physically...maybe that's why nothing is happening...it's her mind."

"Then can't Kami-san...."

"Onee-san says she will do what she can tonight," Hotaru bit her lip, sighing. "Setsuna-mama needs her sleep though. Rest will help her recover. At least that's what onee-san and Ami say."

Minako folded her arms around herself, hugging her shoulders and fighting off a partial shiver. Hotaru, though grasping the power of Death through her planet Saturn, contained healing powers. Perhaps some balance between the two extremes...life and death, both in her very small hands. And now one of her adopted 'parents' was struck down by one claiming to be a Death Buster. Hotaru did not need to relive being Mistress 9, turning against people she loved, hurting them. Physical pain could be healed easily enough; Minako knew that normally she would have been crushed by the blow the hydra dealt her earlier that day. But she was a senshi, and she was made of stronger stuff. A mental attack, a backlash of her own power...her eyes flicked to Setsuna's face. Mental injury was a longer and more difficult process. Setsuna could be out for days, if not weeks. Hopefully, having Kami around would help, using her powers over the sleeping mind. If not....

Running a hand through her hair, Minako retied her red ribbon, straightening it out and adjusting it to its usual neatness and standing. For a moment, the room spun, but straightened itself out. She shook her head to clear it. "Don't worry, Hotaru-chan," she smiled encouragingly. "You too, Chibiusa-chan. Cheer up. Setsuna-san's been around for how long? One little backfire isn't going to take her out that easily. She's too strong for that."

Chibiusa looked up, and Minako noticed a slight puffiness around her eyes, as though the girl were trying not to cry. The youngest of them was one of the closest to Pluto, the eldest senshi being her only friend for a very, very long time. Until she came to the past, and met the rest of them. She was taking it at least as hard as Hotaru was. But Minako's smile and confidence was encouraging, and a tentative grin formed on the corners of her lips. Hotaru, however, placed her hand on her 'mama's' and squeezed it for reassurance.

"I'm going to head up to Kagome's room and see everybody else...you going to be all right?"

There was a slight pause, and then Diana answered for the other two. "We'll be okay."

Minako winked at them, turning and heading into the rest of the house, looking around for the stairs. There was a banging noise above, and some raised voices, so she glanced upward at the ceiling, wondering what just happened. Turning, she found the kitchen instead, a bottle of soy sauce overturned and dribbling onto the table. Stepping inside, she uprighted it, avoiding the sticky brown puddle on the linoleum floor. Someone else had the sense to turn off the stove, and a pan still sat on one of the burners, some fish laid out inside it. With a sigh, she picked it up, making sure she was dumping it into the garbage disposal and not the adjacent sink. Usagi did that once, at Ami's apartment, an entire bowl of chicken. What a mess that'd been.

Scraping out the pan, she glanced up seeing Sango through the unexploded window, making her way around the house. Apparently, not everyone was upstairs helping Kagome with her things. The taiji-ya was carefully picking her way forward and disappearing out of Minako's sight. It didn't take much to guess that she was headed towards the ruins of the wellhouse. If it was destroyed, then the time displaced group would have an additional problem. Getting home. The present was probably fun to visit, but it was unlikely they'd want to stay there. Telling one of them to simply 'cheer up' would not work.

There was the sound of a footfall behind her, and Minako started, half leaping around, still somewhat edgy from earlier today. Miroku was standing there, scratching the back of his head and looking somewhat sheepish.

"Miroku-san? Oh, careful, it's a mess over there...."

He blinked, noticing the spilled soy sauce and shrugging. "You're up. Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Minako sighed, setting the pan back into the sink and turning around completely. "You got kicked out of upstairs, I take it?"

He closed his eyes, folding his arms and looked serious as he explained, "Accidentally discovered the wrong drawer in Kagome-sama's room."

Minako tried not to giggle. She could take a couple guesses as to what the houshi accidentally found that got him kicked out, judging by the small discussion at the Fruit Parlor with Sango. "Ah, so you were the banging sound I heard I minute ago."

"Inuyasha does not take such things lightly."

Minako chortled, thinking about the rather jealous tendencies the hanyou might possess. That, of course, brought her into thinking about the pairings in the newcomer group, and the fact Miroku was now free, and Sango was aimlessly wandering around outside. Minako's romance radar suddenly went shooting off the charts. He may be an eechi, but she did see him fight earlier. He wasn't bad, and if Sango liked him...well then she was all for hooking up friends.

Airily, Minako waved a hand, smiling. "Ah, well, you know what they say! Many hands makes a load of trouble!"

Miroku pondered that for a moment. Wouldn't it make more sense if many hands made the load lighter? But Minako was continuing already, snapping her fingers and lighting up with a brilliant idea. "Ah! Miroku-san! You're a houshi, ne?"

"Well...yes...."

"Can't you do something to protect the well? Once Setsuna-san recovers, I'm sure she'll reestablish the time warp for you! Hotaru-chan told me what happened...I'm sorry. But maybe you can post ofuda or check it out and make sure Karasu hasn't put some kind of spell protecting the place up or trying to prevent us from doing anything else...."

Somewhat puzzled at Minako's sudden rambling spree, he cocked his head to the side, trying to figure out what she was up to. Though she did have a point...in the rush to take care of Setsuna and get Kagome-sama ready to move for a couple days, no one had checked to make sure there were no wardings placed around the house. He still did have a couple extra ofuda on him; it wasn't a bad idea, actually.

"...I'll clean up here and then go up and help Kagome and Ami-chan and Inuyasha pack. It's a good idea, right?" Minako was finishing, somewhat breathless from talking non-stop.

"I suppose...." Miroku admitted reluctantly, still getting the feeling the senshi was scheming something against him. She'd been the one to whisk Sango away earlier today, but at least she didn't look ready to kill him the way the other one had.

"Great!" Minako cheered, looking around and noticing that the kitchen led to a foyer with a door leading outside. "Just check on things, okay? I'll finish up here." She reached back and hefted the pan in the air meaningfully. If he didn't go, she'd chase him out with it. "That should lead outside..." she finished, pointing towards the foyer. "Be careful."

He still got the feeling he'd been manipulated into something, but had no clue what it was. The man he spoke to for a moment at the Arcade earlier said that she was 'Hurricane Aino.' This apparently was yet another example of the blonde senshi's exuberant personality.

"Very well...tell the others I'll be outside then," he told her, carefully heading out the way she pointed.

When he was gone, Minako dropped the pan back into the empty sink, and quickly found the stairs. She'd need a good vantage point to see how this turned out....

Despite the destruction that laid waste to the wellhouse, Kagome's home was generally peaceful. It was sunset now, and Miroku could see the clouds turning into a canvas of brilliant colors, deep purple settling against a backdrop of vivid scarlet, all colors hemmed in golden threads, gleaming. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of traffic, of the things called 'cars' and 'busses' and 'trains.' All were strange things to him, alien as the Crown Arcade. Wonderful, slightly terrifying things that existed in Kagome-sama's world. The jinja was an island in the sea of time, peaceful and reminiscent of the past, of an era he wanted to return to. His hand formed a fist, and he heard a faint clacking of beads as his rosary shifted under the fabric of his long sleeved shirt. The evening was a bit cooler, and he wasn't as uncomfortable as he had been over the course of the day. The senshi of time would get up. She had to get up. She had to reestablish the time warp in the well. This was not the way things were supposed to end, failing to reach Naraku because they were trapped in the wrong era.

There were no signs of further interference from Karasu, at least not around the house. Heading into the courtyard, he finally realized what Minako had been up to, and he smirked, shaking his head. Meddling female.

Sango was standing with her arms folded across her chest, Kirara beside her. She'd worked her way a bit closer to the well, avoiding the various broken boards from the exploded building. The colors suited her, and though it seemed odd for her to be in foreign clothing, it was a dress that enhanced her figure. He hadn't been able to truly appreciate the change of clothing on Sango earlier that day, giving in to a rather unexpected round of jealousy. It was a strange feeling, seeing her standing next to someone else. For once, he thought he understood what Inuyasha must feel when Kouga was hanging around Kagome. In reality, he knew perfectly well Kagome wasn't interested in the wolf youkai. But he got jumpy and possessive nonetheless. His fist tightened again, watching as Sango knelt down, pushing aside one of the wooden boards, a stream of black hair falling into her face, catching slightly on the faint wind.

"Sango?"

Her head snapped up, and she looked over her shoulder to see him approaching. Without the shakujyou in his hand, there was no ringing noise to warn her that he was creeping up from behind. He could be very quiet if he wanted. There was a serious expression on his face, somber and quiet, watchful. Her eyes slid back to the ruin, seeing the charred crater in the center, sunk in on itself. The only way home.

Kohaku was still on the other side of the well. She'd taken it as her responsibility to break him out of Naraku's grasp, to find him and find a way to keep him alive, out of the influence of the shikon no kakera in his back. He was her brother. No one else in her family was alive. She wanted to see him again, make sure he was all right. Now they had another enemy to contend with, another enemy to finish off before things could be put right. She stood, dusting off her hands and smoothing out her skirt as Kirara bounded in a bit closer. Her smaller form was light, and able to pounce from board to board.

The well was gone.

Setsuna-san would have to wake up. Simply have to. She had to get back.

The well was gone.

A hand suddenly enveloped hers, and she glanced up to see Miroku standing there, silently waiting beside her. For once, she didn't mind the contact, closing her eyes and lowering her head. Having fun shopping earlier that day seemed to have been such a waste. She shouldn't have fun, not while there was an enemy to face. One to face quickly, and then to return. Could something have happened differently, had they not wasted any time that afternoon? Maybe they could have stopped this 'bomb' thing before it came. Killed it or something. Found out how it could blow something that size up without gunpowder or magic. Maybe there was a way to defeat something like that. It was such a feeling of helplessness....

"We'll get back," she heard Miroku say, and felt him give her hand a slight squeeze. "If the senshi are as powerful as they seem, this will not be the end of things. We will return."

The cynic in her wanted to come up with some sharp retort, not really feeling like cheering up. But she remained silent, lips drawn thin as she considered being stranded here. Never returning. Never seeing the last of her family. Never.

Miroku took her silence as depression, the pained expression on her face as thoughts of what still lay on the other side of the well. Fun for awhile, visiting, but this was not where he wanted to be either. They did not belong here.

Sango was too deep in her thoughts to be startled when Miroku turned in front of her and hugged her, wrapping arms around her back and pulling her close. She simply let him, feeling the warm fabric of his cotton shirt against her cheek. It was comfortable there, she realized distantly, somehow protected and safe. Slowly, she pulled herself out of her reverie, pulling herself upward and fighting against the despairing feeling that tugged her down. As she did so, she began to realize that Miroku was leaning against her as much as she was against him, the muscles in his back tense against her hands.

After a moment, she understood. Miroku was afraid. Possibly more than she was. The knowledge of that fact made her feel cold suddenly, as the implication settled in. If they truly were stranded there, all of them could survive. Shippou was still a growing child, and he'd adapt easily. Inuyasha would have Kagome, if nothing else. She would never see Kohaku again, but her life was not on the line. Miroku's, however, was.

If they did not return, there was very small chance Naraku would be killed. If he was not, then eventually Miroku's kazaana would swallow him whole. He would die.

Quietly, she let him lean against her.

* * *

From the upstairs window, a small, satisfied smile formed on the lips of Aino Minako. It wasn't exactly passion she was spying on, but there was certainly something there. Not quite romance, but maybe something a bit more enduring. She turned to head into the next room, where she could faintly hear the sounds of the others finishing up.

It was good to be the Soldier of Love.

* * *

Hm, well, another 'connecting' chapter. Did get to play a bit with Minako and her romance radar though, which is always fun. We'll be back to plot in a couple chapters, but right now, connect things together and do a little character development in the meantime. If you can't tell, I really like the Sango/Miroku pairing...eh heheh....^^; They're just fun to play with. And of course mixing in Minako just makes everything crazy. Ah well. Next chapter is another connecting chapter, but it's all humor. ^.^ A light touch amid the chaos.

Til next storytime.

Ja ne!

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 16: Sideways-

"Press the red button on the top of that."

Folding his arms, Inuyasha glared, getting the feeling that he was being set up. "Why the hell should I? What is that? It's not another thing like that stupid Luna Pen is it?"

Miroku shifted a couple of textbooks aside, then leaned back into the cushions. "Of course not. It turns that on," he replied, nodding sagely towards a dark black box across from the couch he sat on. "The...tee-vee."


	17. Sideways

Of This World And Yesterday

_"What am I? You tell me...I'm open to suggestions...."_  
_-David Brin, Earth_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 16- Sideways

Inuyasha was sniffing the air a bit uncomfortably. It wasn't that Mamoru's apartment smelled bad- quite the opposite at the moment. The human was in his kitchen, making a lot of noise with one of the weird machines that were rampant through this era. This one was a grinding sound, releasing a rather pleasant fragrance he had smelled that morning at Kagome's. Something called coffee beans. Being in the apartment wasn't really a bad thing, but he still didn't like it, moping around and grumbling about baka women and how they gang up on you when you only mean to protect them. Sourly, Inuyasha griped about this whenever Miroku spared him enough of a glance.

The houshi was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching Inuyasha pace back and forth from across the endtable. He felt a bit more comfortable in the strange place, having been there before previously. Mamoru's apartment was swept clean of dust, with bookshelves lining the walls to be browsed through. Pictures sat on some of the bookcases, most with faces of the senshi in them, mainly Usagi or Chibiusa. Usually both. His shakujyou lay against the wall beside the kitchen entranceway, left there for discretion's sake. Traveling in this era with his staff would only attract more attention to him than needed.

At the moment, Miroku was attempting to flip his way through one of Mamoru's books on philosophy, by someone named Plato. It was curious to see such words printed on the page, translated into Japanese from something called Ancient Greek. Most of the finer points were eluding him, but then there were lingual shifts to consider from the sengoku jidai to this era. He was lucky he could make any of it out. That, and Inuyasha's pensive pacing was growing annoying.

He understood why the hanyou would be worked up. The thought of something happening to one of the others without being able to help was frightening. At least, if they were there, they could attempt to stop any trouble. This was relying on strangers. Keeping his gaze on the book, Miroku tried to concentrate on the clean black type. His mind strayed. That evening, he had intended to try to comfort Sango, worried about Kohaku. Instead, by the end, he knew it was turning the other way around. His brows were drawn down, lips pulled thin. If he thought about it, he could still remember how firm she felt in his arms, and how her hands rested lightly just behind his shoulders. He tightened his fist, gripping the binding of the book. Damn meddling senshi. She had no idea what she was trying to do. He was just glad that those other two had returned, Haruka and Michiru. It gave him a decent enough reason to pull away without drawing much attention. Considering the way the senshi reacted to the suggestion they couldn't protect Kagome-sama, he didn't really want to know how they'd react if he tried the usual way of distancing himself from Sango. He wanted to get back to the past in once piece, after all.

It was evening now, cloudy but with some starlight above.

Inuyasha was whirling again, muttering darkly about stupid women and stubbornness.  
"Inuyasha," Miroku sighed, finally giving up. He was thinking about too much at the moment to concentrate on meditation, and the incessant pacing was getting on his already frayed nerves. "Why don't you try doing something constructive?"

"Feh! Read a damn book like you?"

Miroku rubbed his temple idly, soothing away a headache before it began. Shutting the heavy tome, he ran a hand over the fine binding, seeing the words _'The Republic'_ printed out ever so neatly. Inuyasha sitting down and reading philosophy was a rather comical thought, but he didn't think it would ever actually happen in real life. Setting the book on the coffee table before him, he pushed a small, flat black box at the hanyou, gesturing at it. "Press the red button on the top of that."

Folding his arms, Inuyasha glared, getting the feeling that he was being set up. "Why the hell should I? What is that? It's not another thing like that stupid Luna Pen is it?"  
Miroku shifted a couple of textbooks aside, then leaned back into the cushions. "Of course not. It turns that on," he replied, nodding sagely towards a dark black box across from the couch he sat on. "The...tee-vee."

Tentatively, Inuyasha picked up the thing that turned on the 'tee-vee' and shook it. It rattled a little bit inside, but was for the most part silent. It didn't smell dangerous, and he turned it over a few times curiously. He'd seen the 'tee-vee' on at Kagome's before, though he had no idea how to light the pictures up on it. It was like a living painting, but with people and colors. Very, very weird. "So it's like a magic wand or something?"  
Miroku himself had only seen Mamoru pressing things on it, and he knew that was how to work it. It was rather interesting to see what the 'mee-tee-or-olo-gi-sts' were predicting for the weather the next day. Useful, that. "I think so. It can foretell the weather for tomorrow. They even show a great map of the country and the seas. It was quite interesting."

Inuyasha arched an eyebrow. Everything in this world was 'quite interesting' but that didn't keep it from being boring. Anyway, there really wasn't anything better to do, so he frowned and pressed the red button carefully, keeping an eye on the 'tee-vee' and making sure to brace himself in case it exploded or something. There was a popping, high pitched noise for a moment, and then the screen came to life, a man in a business suit sitting and talking with another man and a woman at a table. All of them were smiling cheerfully and talking about the strange incident that happened in Juuban.

The sound of the evening news on brought Mamoru out of the kitchen, a steaming pot of coffee in one hand and a mug in the other. It gave off a rich aroma, slightly chocolatey and rich, filling the room as Mamoru glanced at the screen. "They talking about us?"  
"It seems that way," Miroku replied, sitting up a bit straighter as Inuyasha stared at the remote control and tried to figure out how he got the command to go from the button to the 'tee-vee.' "That looks like the Arcade place, doesn't it?"

Mamoru set the hot coffee pot on top of one of the table's magazines, filling the mug and then half sitting against the arm of the couch as the reporter turned to face the screen, a serious look on her face as she declared to the world the attack in Juuban that afternoon.  
_"...reporters were on the scene within minutes, watching as police sectioned off the area. Parts of Juuban will be closed off most of tomorrow as an investigation is pursued. This is the second of this kind of attack detected in Tokyo over the last few days, the first being outside a local jinja. Citizens are warned to use caution as they go about their daily shopping...."_

Inuyasha snorted, plopping down on the carpet and folding his legs, setting the remote down in front of him and paying a bit more attention to the news anchor as she continued on, the screen now showing images of the ruined street, her voice laid over the panning camera shots.

_"Most of the street was destroyed by some kind of unidentifiable youma. Attacks such as these have no precedent in recent history, however, eyewitness accounts place the arrival of the mysterious people known as the Sailor Senshi on the scene."_

Mamoru arched an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. 'No precedent'? He could attest to plenty of precedents, though of course that wouldn't be a good idea. The senshi did their job well, though in this instance, there were carcasses in their wake, which was unusual. Usually it was a person, or in the case of the daimon, completely destroyed. Karasu worked differently, sending out a different kind of enemy to face them. Perhaps that was the youkai aspect of their DNA, something more tangible and less ethereal.

The anchor was still talking, introducing some footage taken that afternoon, interviews with the 'eyewitnesses' that saw the fight from various buildings in the area. A young man in a baseball cap was wide eyed, gesturing broadly at the destruction behind him and talking rapidly.

_"...one of them got slammed into a building! Then one of the big snake things went nuts, and then there was this big golden light! I saw it. It was weird, and then there was this big cat, and one of the senshi was riding around on it! I'd never seen anything like it. There was a woman in the middle of it all, and she had some kind of flamethrower or something, because there were these big gouts of fire sometimes. All the senshi had to blast her at once to kill her! I'd never seen anything like it...!"_

"He sounds a little confused," Miroku commented dryly. First, though Sango was on Kirara, she was not a senshi, though it was probably a good thing the man didn't get a clear enough view to tell she wasn't. The Eudial woman had no 'flamethrower'...whatever that was...and Sango had been the one to kill the kugutsu with her hiraikotsu, not the senshi with their various magics. "Though I suppose that's good for us."

Mamoru chuckled, picking up his pot of coffee. "It's usual. They never get a clear shot of us. Either of you want some?" he asked, hefting the hot liquid meaningfully. Inuyasha snorted, shaking his head and picking up the remote again curiously. There were a lot of buttons on the thing. Miroku also shook head, remembering the taste from earlier in the day. Coffee smelled far better than it tasted. Both denying the offer, Mamoru headed back into the kitchen to clean up, leaving his mug steaming on the table.

"Oy, Miroku...what do the other buttons do?" Inuyasha finally asked, pressing down on one as he spoke. The station instantly flipped, sending them onto some kind of game show, people running around and shouting. "What the hell...? What stupid thing is this?"  
Miroku was looking up now, having been reaching for his book again. All he'd seen was the weather and the newscast. This was entirely different, and his eyes were round. Belatedly, he tried to feign disinterest, shrugging and looking away again. "I do not know. Just turn it-"

The hanyou was pressing buttons again, watching the screen flip again and again as he punched in different sequences of numbers, pausing now and then as something caught his eye. News seemed to be on a lot at the moment, though other images popped up. People talking. Some jewelry with numbers under it. A couple women showing off clothing.

Boring....

Boring....

Boring....

Inuyasha discovered that though there were apparently many things to watch, most of them were boring as hell. Though he felt a little smug, knowing he had mastered the magic wand thing Miroku only knew how to turn on. Feh.

Then, he discovered something that looked rather promising. Two figures flashed across the screen, running and trying to beat the hell out of each other. He paused, watching as there was some talking. Behind him, Miroku was blinking, curiosity warring with the feeling he should just let Inuyasha watch whatever. Though the people looked pretty serious. It didn't look like a game. "Inuyasha...are they really trying to kill each other?"  
The time displaced hanyou was half on his feet, uncertain. "I don't know...they look damn serious...kuso, look at them go...."

On the screen, the two opponents were facing off, a young man with bushy red hair and serious green eyes against a tall man with long, thin black hair and a leather jacket, most of his face covered by a gas mask, not unlike Sango's. The redhead looked like he was in a bit of trouble, breathing slightly hard and concentrating, while the leather jacket man seemed rather at ease.

"Should we tell Mamoru? Maybe we should try to stop this...."

Miroku was shaking his head. "Maybe it's just a play or something."

Peering forward, Inuyasha tried to relax. It looked awfully real to be a play. Besides, this wasn't a theater. The news had been a bit inaccurate, but they had been telling about things that actually happened. The gas mask man was lifting a hand into the air, talking and explaining the reason why the redhead couldn't tell what his power was. Apparently he was too weak or something. "Kuso...he's going to kill you...get the hell out of there...."  
From behind him, Inuyasha heard Miroku stand up and come around the table, then kneel down beside him, half leaning forward towards the screen as well. The redhead was about to get killed, that much was clear. "He won't run...it's some kind of contest or something...they're in a ring...."

Gas mask man had a ball of light in his hand, solidifying. It turned into some kind of weapon, like three sticks tied together. "Oy, what is that?"

"I have no idea...I've never seen a weapon of that kind before...."

Then, the man announced that his weapon was called a 'bomb.'

That resulted in both Inuyasha and Miroku leaping up and shouting.

"Mamoru-san! Someone's about to get killed!"

"Oy! Kick that bastard's fucking ass! Damn bomb things! Kick his fucking ass!"

Mamoru was back in the room in an instant, seeing a nearly panicked Miroku, who looked as though he should be doing something, running a step towards the door, then turning and heading back for his shakujyou, then staring at Mamoru, then at the screen again with a horrified expression. Inuyasha was riveted to the screen, fists clenched and shouting at the redhead to beat the bomb user into a bloody pulp.

"Miroku-san! Inuyasha! It's all right! It's just a tv show! It's fake!" Mamoru took a couple quick strides across the room to pry Inuyasha away from the television, catching his arm before he put a fist through it and broke it. "It's not real. It's a program, like a play. But it's sent in through the air, like magic, but not. It's not real. It's special effects. It's fake, Inuyasha, relax, please don't break my television."

The reply was Inuyasha backing away a half step, but then proceeding to shout, "Kick his ass! Come on! Kuso! Don't get...kuso! Stupid bastard!"

Mamoru released Inuyasha's arm, seeing the hanyou was no longer trying to punch his screen. Now he was complaining over the idiocy level of the now-apparently-dead redheaded man, who was vanishing into swirls of smoke and lightning. Miroku had frozen halfway to the door, knowing he had no idea where to go to stop the fight. "Miroku, it's not real. It's the truth. It's pretend, a television program. Entertainment." That earned him a couple blinks, and he watched as the houshi relaxed somewhat, slowly, eyeing the screen around Inuyasha, who was still transfixed, swearing a blue streak at the bomb user and cursing the stupid redhead who hadn't reappeared.

"It looks very real, Mamoru-san," Miroku allowed reluctantly, still warily watching the screen. "You're certain?"

Mamoru nodded, leaning around Inuyasha and watching as a woman's voice began to shout, announcing something that was happening. Inuyasha suddenly stopped swearing at the men on the screen, as a form came out of the smoke, first a silhouette, then a solid figure.

Inuyasha dropped to the ground, staring at what the redhead just turned into.

Mamoru snapped his fingers. "Ah, I recognize this. Been awhile, I think it's in reruns. _Yu Yu Hakusho,_ I think. That was another guy a second ago, right?"

Miroku was nodding mutely, not sure whether he should laugh or say something to Inuyasha. The man had turned into someone who looked like he dropped off Inuyasha's family tree somewhere. Long silvery white hair, golden eyes, and a pair of large, pointed canine ears on his head.

"Is that an inu-youkai?"

Trying to remember the storyline, Mamoru shook his head. "No...I think...that's Hiei...no, wait, Kurama. A kitsune."

"How the hell is that a kitsune?" Inuyasha demanded, pointing at the screen as the inu-youkai looking man began to weave his way easily between the various flying bombs the other man was throwing at him. "He looks like an inu-youkai!"

Miroku was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Has Shippou been hiding things from us, Inuyasha?"

"Feh! I still want the inu-youkai to kick the other guy's ass! Damn bomb things! Beat him to a...." Inuyasha trailed off as the kitsune man stopped, then reached back and drew out two roses, and threw them carelessly through two of the bombs, sending them into explosions.

Both Inuyasha and Miroku turned and looked at Mamoru.

"Isn't that _your _attack?"

Mamoru shrugged. "It's effective when needed."

Heads swiveled back to the fight, as the bomb man proceeded to send explosives at the inu-youkai looking kitsune, who evaded them easily, beginning to ask questions about some kind of demonic plants. As the fight continued, the kitsune summoned some very nasty looking flora, which proceeded to swarm over the bomb man. Inuyasha kept up a steady mantra of 'kick his ass, beat him down, kick his ass....'

Then another round of information was provided from a cat-looking announcer girl, informing the audience in the stands of what was happening to the two fighters.

Apparently the bomb user's name was Karasu.

"What the fuck....?"

"Is she serious?"

Mamoru tried not to laugh, coughing instead. "That is...a coincidence."

"Feh! The inu-youkai had better kick his ass then."

Several more minutes of fighting passed as the boys watched the battle, Karasu breaking out of the plant's grip, and blowing up the kitsune, returning him to the redhead form. More fighting, though redhead was about dead on his feet. Then he was down on his knees, as another announcer began to count to ten. Slowly, redhead got back up, screaming as he did so, and a horde of plants erupted from around him, slamming into his enemy and sending him to the ground as he collapsed again.

"Ha!" Inuyasha cheered as the bomb user lay on the ground, very apparently dead.

"Kicked his ass! Feh!"

Mamoru decided that Inuyasha was a little _too _into the show.

"That is very strange," Miroku said as the show ended, and previews for the next episode began. "A kitsune that looks like an inu-youkai, who throws sharp roses, and fights a person named Karasu. With those...bomb...things." Miroku glanced at Mamoru, who was picking up the remote from where Inuyasha had discarded it, and turned off the television before another show came on, transfixing them for another half hour. "That is what the bomb looked like?"

Mamoru shook his head, frowning as he put away the remote. "Something like that, though real explosives would be different. The concept is the same though. Bombs are not alive or can be killed."

"So the explosion in the well was just caused by one of those things going off?" Inuyasha asked, settling down and folding his legs, a frown forming on his face. If those things were just mindless chunks of material, without a real scent, he wasn't sure how to fight with them. Though their Karasu had used the phone thing to give them a warning. That was interesting, and odd. Perhaps the raven youkai had some scrap of honor to her name somewhere after all, recognizing the cowardly method she used. Effective, but cowardly. "We'll have to rebuild the well."

Miroku closed his eyes for a moment and looked away, a frown crossing his face. Rebuild the well. Yes, they'd have to rebuild the well...if Setsuna awakened to reestablish the warp. If she did not...then it would be utterly pointless. But he was glad Inuyasha seemed confident enough about the situation. Though of course, Inuyasha was usually confident about anything he thought he could handle. Which was just about everything.  
"Between all of us, that's a fairly plausible thing," Mamoru was saying as Miroku began to pay attention again. "Ami and I could work out some blueprints for a small building, I'm sure. There's enough of us to lend a hand in the building-"

His speech was cut off by the ringing of a phone, sending Miroku jumping at the unfamiliar sound. Inuyasha snorted, recognizing it and scowling as Mamoru turned and reached into the kitchen, taking the phone off the hook and turning it on as he lifted it to his ear.

"Moshi moshi?" A pause. "Konbanwa, Haruka. Of course he is. You're letting her...all right. Just a moment." Mamoru looked out into the room, focusing on Miroku. "Sango is apparently learning how to operate a telephone. She wants to speak to you."

Inuyasha snickered quietly, looking away when Miroku glared at him, accepting the phone from Mamoru and imitating the way the other man held it against his head.  
"Sango?" Silence for a moment. Miroku held the phone away from himself a moment, looking at it and wondering if he was doing something wrong. Maybe she didn't hear him. He tried again, louder this time. "SANGO? KONBANWA! ARE YOU THERE?"

Inuyasha flattened his ears against his head and growled as the houshi shouted into the phone. Mamoru was trying not to laugh again, biting his lip and rubbing his forehead. The response from the other end was quieter, tinny from the distance.

"Houshi-sama? I'm here, you don't need to yell...."

Miroku blinked, realizing how loud he had been when he saw Inuyasha glaring and Mamoru trying not to laugh at his mistake. He gathered his dignity around himself, straightening up and turning halfway away from the other two to ignore them.

"Konbanwa, Sango. I didn't hear you a moment ago."

"Haruka-san just handed me the talking end-" there was a pause, and some whispering in the background, sounding a bit like Kagome. "The...re-cie-ver...." she repeated what she was told. "Haruka-san and Michiru-san say that since they are back, and Inuyasha will probably be staying with Kagome-chan tomorrow, we can go with them in their moving..." she trailed off, and there were more whispers. "In their car," Sango finished, a bit more firmly. "We will pick you up at...when?" Again, he heard murmurings in the background, this time debating. Finally, Sango returned, with a puzzled tone. "Nine o'clock? Kagome-chan says that Mamoru-san will know when that is."

"Yes...I'll ask him."

There was a hesitation, this time a genuine one as Sango thought of something. "How are you, houshi-sama?"

Miroku paused on his end of the line, turning fully away from the other two, hoping that Inuyasha's youkai hearing wouldn't extend to intruding on his conversation. As they came to Mamoru's apartment, he'd caught the hanyou looking at him oddly, with the expression he sometimes got when he smelled something odd, though not necessarily bad. Miroku hoped he hadn't picked up some of Sango's scent from their proximity earlier that evening. He wasn't sure, because Inuyasha had been unusually quiet about it. "Well enough," he replied carefully. "We watched the evening news on the tee-vee. They thought you were a senshi."

That earned a small chuckle from the other end. "We saw that too. Kagome-chan wants to talk to Inuyasha for a moment, houshi-sama."

Miroku nodded, then realized Sango couldn't see him. He recovered quickly, saying aloud, "Yes, of course. I'll see you tomorrow at...nine oh-clock."

"Yes. We'll find her tomorrow, houshi-sama. Oyasumi nasai."

"Oyasumi, Sango..." he replied quietly, turning back and holding out the phone. Inuyasha was on his feet and with a hand extended. Miroku frowned, knowing that he had overheard the conversation. Mamoru, though, had not, and was seating himself on the couch. Inuyasha took the phone from Miroku, and then fiddled with it, trying to figure out how to get one end against his ear and the other by his mouth. After a moment, he just gave up and held the receiver to his mouth, letting his hearing pick up on the rest of it.

"Kagome? I still think you should have let me- oy! I did not say-"

Miroku groaned to himself as he listened to the one-sided argument, Inuyasha recapping most of his complaints about how he should be over at the Outer Senshi's house with everyone else. The conversation finally ended with Inuyasha growling that he knew damn well how to get to Kagome's school, and that he'd figure out when something called 'a quarter til eight' was. Then there was a pause, and his ears drooped a little. "Oyasumi nasai, Kagome."

It was silent for a moment, and then Miroku could hear an audible click from the other end, the sound of the other line cutting off. Inuyasha stared at it for a second, a vaguely gloomy look on his features, and then he snapped himself out of it. "Oy, Mamoru. What do I do with this?"

Mamoru stood and took the phone away from him, pressing a button that beeped and turning the phone to off. He looked at them in turn. "So Haruka and Michiru are picking you up at nine tomorrow, and you have to be at Kagome's school tomorrow at a quarter til eight?"

There were mute nods, and Mamoru shrugged. "That's fairly early, though not too bad. I'll make sure you know when to be ready. I've got some classes, so I'll be heading out at about the same time."

From where he stood, Miroku leaned against the entranceway to the kitchen, eyes sliding to the shakujyou that leaned against the white wall beside him. Tentatively, he picked it up, testing the grip and the balance of it. It was the symbol of a monk, a peaceful staff, though at times he used it for fighting. "I won't be able to take this, will I? Setsuna-san got Sango some kind of magical bracelet, but...."

"Wasn't it Kami who did that?" Inuyasha asked, remembering the discussion from the arrival of the others at the Higurashi jinja. "Her power or something?"

"Setsuna was the one to show her how..." Miroku glanced at Mamoru. "Would she know how to make another one? The kazaana is a weapon, but not the first resort to use."

Mamoru was shaking his head doubtfully. "You can ask her tomorrow, after looking around. If Haruka and Michiru are going to search for Karasu's whereabouts, then Kami will likely be staying home to keep an eye on Setsuna."

The rings on the end of the shakujyou clanged gently against each other, lightly chiming in the apartment's quiet as Miroku moved it forward, testing it. "Tomorrow we will have to find Karasu."

The other two men nodded in silent agreement.

This was going to have to end. Soon.

* * *

Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake! Omake!

Miroku was nodding mutely, not sure whether he should laugh or say something to Inuyasha. The man had turned into someone who looked like he dropped off Inuyasha's family tree somewhere. Long silvery hair, golden eyes, and a pair of large, pointed canine ears on his head.

"Is that an inu-youkai?"

Trying to remember the storyline, Mamoru shook his head. "No...I think...that's Hiei...no, wait, Kurama. A kitsune."

"How the hell is that a kitsune?" Inuyasha demanded, pointing at the screen as the inu-youkai looking man began to weave his way easily between the various flying bombs the other man was throwing at him. "He looks like an inu-youkai!"

Miroku was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Has Shippou been hiding things from  
us, Inuyasha?"

"Feh! I still want the inu-youkai to kick the other guy's ass! Damn bomb things! Beat him to a...." Inuyasha trailed off as the kitsune man stopped, then reached back and drew out two roses, and threw them carelessly through two of the bombs, sending them into explosions.

Both Inuyasha and Miroku turned and looked at Mamoru.

"He stole your attack!"

Mamoru shrugged, "At least it was something useful and not something like my top hat."  
Inu-yasha and Miroku shared a glance, shrugged and responded, "Top...hat?"

"Uh...it's this tall black cylindrical hat that some people wear with tuxedoes," he responded trying to think of the best way to explain something as pointless as a top hat.

"You weren't wearing it earlier," Miroku commented and then looking confused asked, "were you?"

"No. It kept falling off at key moments, or falling into my eyes, or...well it was just useless and so I threw it away years ago. And save having nightmares of its return I haven't thought about it since."

Inuyasha looked at Miroku, he wasn't quite sure he understood everything that Mamoru had said, after all he'd never heard of a hat that could return on its own, but he got the gist and replied the best way he knew how. "Feh," he said and turn his attention back to the t.v.

* * *

Yes, another omake. Though this time, it was provided by my beta Mina Maxwell. Since this fic's _Sailormoon_ aspects are predominantly from the manga, (the main exception being Tux Boy's keeping his anime rose throwing...I'm not having him use the weird manga 'Tuxedo the Smoking Bomber'....) he doesn't wear that oversized top hat all the time. This is Mina's omake explaination as to why there is no top hat- Mamoru wised up and tossed the thing.  
This entire chapter was purely for fun. It's back to plot after this, but while writing this chapter, I was lent _Yu Yu Hakusho,_ and was in the middle of watching that. During the process of sitting through the Makai Martial Arts Tournament, I watched the scene Inuyasha found on the television. A kitsune named Kurama, who transforms into a very Inuyasha-looking powered up Kurama, who at one point throws roses and fights a (male) youkai named Karasu using bombs as an attack. I about fell over laughing. Of course I had to stick that in here_ somewhere._ Too much of a coincidence.  
I also wanted to do a scene with just the guys. The fic is pretty heavily reliant on female characters, due to the presence of the many senshi. So this chapter was just some fun with the boys before things turn serious again, the way they will at the end of next chapter. Speaking of which:

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 17: Rings-

Haltingly, Miroku and Sango looked around. Cars swept by past them on the street, honking noisily as the people within them headed about their daily business. Some of their confidence from a moment before ebbed away as the world spiraled much larger. Tall buildings pressed in from above, making each suddenly realize how very small and alone they were in comparison, now that Haruka and Michiru were gone. "Strangers in a strange land," Miroku murmured, as Sango nodded in mute agreement beside him.


	18. Rings

Of This World And Yesterday

_Sometimes the things I do astound me_  
_Mostly whenever you're around me_  
_-Bjork, Like Someone in Love_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 17- Rings

Brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes, Sango tried to relax in the seat. It was slightly difficult to do so, flying along at such a speed, wedged in so tightly. Haruka and Michiru were punctual that morning, insisting on getting out and beginning work as soon as possible. They'd picked up Miroku on time from Mamoru's apartment, the two of them packed into the backseat of Haruka's sports car, Kirara in her purse stuffed between them. Judging from the other cars on the road, Sango was able to determine the blonde haired senshi drove a very expensive car, and that she also liked to drive it very fast.

Each member of the two assembled groups went their own ways that day, and it still seemed a bit strange to be working separate from Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippou. Well, perhaps not separate, but without them right there with. She slipped another glance forward, able to see Michiru's profile slightly better, sitting in the passenger seat, diagonal from where Sango sat behind Haruka. The senshi of the sea sat composed, hands folded lightly in her lap as wind flew in through her open window, sending wavy long hair fluttering around her face. Her Aqua Mirror lay under her hands, unheld, though resting. She would glance at it every once in awhile, then return her eyes to the road ahead, periodically checking for any signs it may give her as to the whereabouts of Karasu.

Inuyasha, as expected, tailed Kagome to school, once again delegated to watching from across the street. Most of the student body and faculty had recovered from the 'pipe bomb' that supposedly went off, a mask for the attack on Kagome's school. Most of the senshi had classes of their own, Mamoru going to the university to study, the Inners and Hotaru to their own respective schools. Kami, as expected, stayed home with Setsuna. Oddly enough, Shippou passed the opportunity to go with Inuyasha, saying he'd rather help out at the Outer's house, helping Kami with her household chores as well as with Setsuna. The eldest senshi still slept, her forehead slightly warm as though with a low grade fever. They kept a light blanket over her, fearing if they removed it she may catch the chills.

Curling up a bit more into the seat, Sango lightly rubbed Kirara's head, scratching under her chin to reassure the firecat as they whipped around another corner. That earned her an uncomfortable mewling noise, and she felt Kirara's ears twitch under her hand. They'd been out all morning, driving up and down Tokyo, though concentrating in the Juuban district. Ami's incomplete trace had given them at least a partial guess as to where Karasu may have hidden herself. Unfortunately, Michiru's mirror was reflecting nothing but images of the past; the Tomoe Research Facility, Mugen Academy and various other sites they'd seen over the course of their battles with the Death Busters. Now they were retracing their steps, swinging past still blocked up areas from yesterday, where the police had sectioned off sections of streets near the Arcade. Most of it had been cleaned up, but due to the damage to some buildings, it was under some light construction, rerouting traffic.

"Anything, Michiru?" Haruka asked lowly, not taking her eyes from the road as she floored it though a yellow light.

Aquamarine eyes turned to the mirror once more, seeing them reflected back at her in the smooth surface. "No," came the reply. "It remains still."

Haruka's hand tensed on the steering wheel, both from the response and from the fact she had just stumbled into another round of traffic. Too many cars blocking the road was beginning to irritate her. After a moment, she jerked the wheel, sending them down a side street and coming out on another road. "You two pick up anything?" she asked again as an afterthought, sparing a glance into the rearview mirror and checking to see the others expressions. Both looked a little green from the constant weaving in and out of traffic, but both seemed to be surviving.

The houshi responded first, shaking his head slowly. "No. But we're moving too fast for me to recognize anything anyway."

She chuckled, smiling wryly. Well, that was one way to suggest they slow down. Considering it, she shrugged, pulling over and parallel parking along the side street, unbuckling her seat belt as she turned off the car. Michiru hit a button on the door beside her, and the windows began to scroll up while Haruka opened her door and stepped out onto the curb, pulling back the seat for Sango to wriggle her way out.

Cars were backed up along the street, others apparently being aware of the shortcut and making use of it to get around the repairs. The sidewalks were busy, people moving along on their various tasks, many with large shopping bags.

A bit wide eyed, Sango looked up, half turning around as she recognized the sporting goods store she had bought her biker shorts at. They were back in the shopping district, crowded with people flowing past the four emerging from the expensive sports car.  
"That's where we bought Kagome's bow and arrows yesterday," Sango mentioned, gesturing towards the building across the street, pointing it out. A man moved in the glass display cases, putting up sale signs on baseball goods, straightening out a cap on one of the mannequins.

"You bought Kagome-sama a bow?" Miroku asked, glancing at Sango as he avoided a knot of people headed their way.

The reply was a nod, and Sango carefully lifted her purse over her shoulder, making sure not to whack Kirara in the head with an elbow. "Yes. We thought it'd be a good idea for her to have them, in case of an emergency. She'll at least be armed."

"This is the shopping district," Michiru told Miroku, slipping her mirror discreetly back into its dimensional pocket. The people ignored the motion, too busy with their own lives to notice a disappearing hand mirror. "There's mostly stores here, a few cafes and bistros as well if you're hungry. It's as good a place as any to begin searching on foot."

Haruka stuffed her hands into the pockets of her khakis, leaning against the hood of her car and glancing around as Michiru spoke. There was a lot of ground to cover without driving, though she supposed this would be a more detailed search than simply driving by everything quickly. "We can spread out this way. Head out in pairs and cover more ground. Miroku, you and I will head out towards-"

A hand on her arm stopped Haruka from giving out further orders, and she blinked to see Michiru tilting her head to one side and watching Sango and Miroku. She wasn't Sailor Venus, incessantly wanting to pair people up, but on arriving back at the Higurashi Jinja with their car, she'd seen the other two in the courtyard together for a moment, before they realized they had company returning, suddenly leaping apart, Sango a interesting crimson shade. She fought a smile at the thought, deciding to play along. Haruka was likely planning on keeping Miroku with her to keep an eye on him; she doubted the houshi would attempt to hit on Haruka the way he would with Michiru. Sending him off with Michiru was an open invitation to trouble.

"Sango has been in this area before. Why don't we let them have some freedom, ne? It's not as though they're children. Besides, school will be letting out in a hour or so. The Inners will be roaming around to help, everyone can meet up again then. Do you think you can handle an hour on your own in the area? I'm sure you'd be more comfortable working together than with one of us."

"Michiru!" Haruka began to protest, thinking this was illogical. Sending two people from the past running around in downtown Juuban was not exactly a good idea, in her mind. "They can't go around on their own, it's..." she lowered her voice to keep from being overheard, "...they don't know anything. They wouldn't know what's strange from what's normal for this time."

"Then we'll look for what's familiar," Miroku told her a bit defensively, folding his arms and frowning at the suggestion he was incapable of taking care of himself. It was a well meaning thing to do, but also implied that he and Sango were incompetent. "The daimon creatures are some kind of hybrid with youkai, which we are familiar with. That's why we were brought here. We can handle an hour of your era without supervision."

Sango had planted herself beside Miroku, and between the two of them and the red eyed stare of Kirara, Haruka blinked in surprise, then relented slightly. "I'm not trying to say you can't take care of yourselves, but you might get lost, or need help...."

There was a clicking sound, and Michiru slipped something off her wrist. "Haruka, you have your communicator, ne?" Without checking for a reply, Michiru handed hers to Miroku, causing Haruka to stand up straight, beginning to protest again. With a small smile, Michiru smoothed out the pale yellow sundress she wore, slyly glancing upward towards her partner. "Ah, Haruka, don't tell me you don't want to be stuck alone with me?"

Haruka felt a little trapped. Why was everyone suddenly scheming against her?

"Fine, fine," she grumbled. "One hour. One. We meet back here in one hour, and see if anyone had any luck."

Miroku was flipping the communicator watch over in his hands, trying to figure it out. Over his shoulder, Sango was trying to get a look at the strange contraption herself, Kirara curiously peering upward to see what the two humans were staring at so intently. "It has several buttons," Miroku finally managed. Haruka groaned, running a hand through her hair. This was a bad idea.

Michiru stepped a bit closer, pointing at the different symbols marked into the watch. "Different symbols for each of us," she told them, glancing this way and that before continuing. A finger tapped the top of the communicator as she pointed things out. "The time reading is at the top. When this looks like three o'clock..." she drew a figure in the air, then again on the display, "...it's been one hour. To get Haruka, press this," she lightly tapped a yellow symbol on the outer edge, a circle with a crown. Promptly, Haruka's pocket began to beep lightly, and she sighed, taking out her own comm and turning it off. "If it's an emergency, we'll come right away."

"Alright," Miroku said as she stepped away, smiling at her explanation. Miroku was looking at the watch face thoughtfully, trying to commit it all to memory. "One hour then. When it looks like a three and two zeros after it."

"Are you two sure you can handle this?" Haruka asked, still not being entirely fond of the idea. "We don't need to stick too close to the shopping district...the point is to spread out."

"We can handle it, Haruka-san," Sango told her firmly, resting a hand on the bracelet on her left wrist. The stone was warm to the touch, evidence of the spell cast on it and the power Setsuna had shown Kami how to lay within. She was still uncertain of this future world, but growing more confident. Besides, she wouldn't be alone today, and if houshi-sama tried anything with any of the girls of this era, she wanted to be there to whack him for it. "One hour."

With a final sigh, Haruka shrugged, looking around. "Well, Michiru, want to head up that way?"

"I suppose," she agreed, growing a bit more serious as work presented itself once more. "Ja ne, Sango, Miroku..." she hesitated, then a small smile crept back. "And Kirara. Be careful."

After a moment, they disappeared into a swirl of people in the street, backs turned and walking with familiar ease into the crowd.

Haltingly, Miroku and Sango looked around. Cars swept by past them on the street, honking noisily as the people within them headed about their daily business. Some of their confidence from a moment before ebbed away as the world spiraled much larger. Tall buildings pressed in from above, making each suddenly realize how very small and alone they were in comparison, now that Haruka and Michiru were gone. "Strangers in a strange land," Miroku murmured, as Sango nodded in mute agreement beside him. "We'll be fine," he continued, glancing at her as she brought her gaze back from the looming buildings. "Stay close to me."

She gave him a sour look.

The familiarity of her worry broke a bit of the tension, and he gave her a wry grin, returned after a moment.

Together, they headed down the street.

* * *

From the high scaffolds of a towering building, a black bird rustled his feathers. The last day had been full of circling, wandering, flying in rings and keeping a watchful eye on the people he had been instructed to, and gratefully staying away from the cruel peckings of the Hikawa Jinja crows. He shuffled on his perch, lifting a wing and inspecting the injured patch of flesh and feathers. It was healing well, and rapidly, the last of the sleek black feathers coming in even as he watched. Though his beak, he snorted, flapping his wings and settling in again to be patient. Good eyesight allowed him a clear view of the space far below, updrafts from the street keeping him cool from the sun's shining warmth.  
He decided to head back towards home. There was little he could do when they started separating in the morning, and he knew that if any of them finally managed to search out his home nest, he'd want to have his mistress do something about it. So he kept to the scaffolds, sniffing the wind and keeping his slit-pupil eyes open for familiar faces.  
It was not until late afternoon that he spotted two people, walking along the street and making quiet conversation. Their appearances were familiar to him, having seen them in the distance the previous day at the Higurashi Jinja, while circling high overhead. It took only a moment for Evermore to flit off the high ledge, taking wing and soaring after them.

Their way was slow, and on occasion they would pause to look in a store window, the long haired one curiously glancing through the panes of glass in the dress shops and boutiques. But the hesitations would be only momentary, and they would be on their way again, slowly but steadily working their way towards the remains of Mugen Academy.  
When they reached the point of exiting the shopping district, Evermore turned on a wingtip, catching an updraft and letting it carry him swiftly forward, gliding rapidly along, passing by the two familiar faces and hurrying ahead. The empty office building had an open window in the back, one always left open, especially for him. Slipping inside, he glided across the empty floor, backwinging and landing as he reached the door to the corner office.

The door was ajar, and he could hear breathing coming through as he stuck his head in, hopping inside and again taking to wing. Clothes lay neatly draped on the back of the chair at this room's desk; evidence that sometime over the course of the day, Karasu had woken up, taking enough time out of her rest to change into pajamas. A cd player sat atop the desk, piles of various kinds of music in neat stacks beside it, cd's towering into the air. A portable tv was tucked into another corner, sitting on top of a dresser. At the moment, his partner was curled up amid cream colored sheets, black hair flying out across the pillow as she slept.

He began cawing, flapping his way around the room and hoping to make enough noise to wake her up. Her brows drew down in sleepy annoyance, and there was a grunt from her as she rolled over, pulling her pillow over her head and hiding her face into the mattress. He'd seen her sleep like this before; it was the one thing she liked to indulge in, otherwise being an incessant overworker. Occasional hibernation from which it took nearly an earthquake to snap her out of. Sniffing, he squawked louder as he landed on the headpost of her bed, flapping his wings and making as much noise as he could. His efforts earned him a hand reaching out from the covers and rudely whacking the alarm clock off the bedstand.

Seeing that, he stopped squawking and tried another tactic, feeling a bit pleased with himself for getting a bit of revenge. Sharp talons dug into the mound in the covers, sending her leaping upright with a screech as he flapped his way into a safer area.

"You...." Karasu growled as she flipped over, untangling the covers and rubbing her rear end as she glared blearily around the room. The black bird kept away for a moment, knowing that she'd whack him if he got too close at the moment. She was waking up, straightening out a tank top and grey boxer shorts as she searched the room for her attacker. "Evermore, you bastard...what do you think you're doing?"  
He squawked again, tentatively hovering closer, then diving in and latching onto her forearm before she could swat at him. At the contact, broken, fragmented images began to fill her mind, not quite panicked, but layered with feelings of worry on behalf of her familiar. As she recognized the stream of thoughts, and the path they were showing her outside, her anger faded and she began to sift through them. First the shopping district of Juuban. Then closer images, streets she could just begin to pick out.  
Karasu leapt out of bed, dislodging Evermore as she realized what the bird was trying to tell her.

Two of them were coming.

Close. Too close.

Out of her room in an instant, she was running barefoot across the floor of the office building, heading towards the elevator that would lead her back to her laboratory. Moving down into the darkness, she could hear Evermore's wings in the silence, then saw him glide along ahead of her towards her reflective pool. It took her only a moment to make her way there, dropping to her knees beside it and waiting for it to show her what she wished.

In her black eyes, the images reflected. The two figures walking steadily out of the shopping district and closer towards Mugen Academy, making their way towards the ruins of the building down the street from her own empty offices.

"Damn it...." she murmured, a hand balling into a fist and banging against the lip of the scrying pool, hard enough to send ripples through the water and to disrupt the image there. Annoyed at herself for causing the images to float away, she waited impatiently for the water to grow still again, wanting to know if any others were in the area. After a moment, the water cleared, the mirror's surface showing her another pair of people. Like the first two, they were also wandering, though she was able to pick out the name of one of the stores. They were headed the opposite direction, apparently split up to cover more ground.

Her mind whirled. Attacking the first ones would succeed in only making the area look suspicious- it would scream that someone was trying to hide something, especially if they realized just how close they were to Mugen Academy's burial site. For all she knew, they were on their way there deliberately. But if she attacked the others, would they be able to call for help? If they could, then attacking them would be best, leading the others away unobtrusively, thinking the danger was further away. If they could not....  
She glanced at Evermore. If she released him with orders to be seen, or even to attack some weaker human...a child, perhaps...it would be enough to get their attention, and lead them away towards her main target, the more distant pair. It would be suspicious that way, but Evermore would look less powerful than a kugutsu, not resembling an old enemy.

It took only a moment to cross the floor of her laboratory, eyes flicking over her rows of poised poppets on the shelf. One of the spots was empty, the one Eudial figurine broken already. There was no time to create a daimon hybrid, not with them so close. Instead she would need to distract them some other way, with something strong enough to be dangerous, and effective enough to keep that kazaana out of the way. If she could take one of these out now, she would.

After a moment, she snatched one of the figures off the shelf.

This one would do.

* * *

It took a little while, but after the first few minutes, Sango and Miroku began to relax. For the most part, the people shopping ignored them. There really was nothing odd to notice other than the fact they stared a little more at things than any normal person would; after all, Sango was back in her wine colored dress, and Miroku in his long sleeved blue shirt and black pants. Their clothing could not give away their identities as people currently time displaced, and Kirara kept herself in Sango's purse, occasionally poking her nose out and enjoying the free ride.

"It's not so different from home," Miroku told her as they passed a vendor selling baked pretzels. The smell of the cooking food lifted into the air, slightly tinged with salt. "People still sell things, and others look. Just...larger. Much larger."

Sango agreed silently, pausing again to glance inside one of the store windows. He waited for her, realizing that shopping seemed to be the timeless women's sport, and Sango was slightly curious as to the fashion trends. Kagome's school uniform or occasional other outfit seemed like an oddity in the past. Now, seeing the way people here were usually attired, the uniqueness of the uniform faded as curiosity about general styles grew. They'd passed several stores, both women's and men's, hesitating at the windows before one of them would remember why they were out, and they would leave again. This time though, Sango had hesitated at something other than clothes.

"Jewels," she murmured, placing a hand to her cheek as her eyes roamed over the display. Absently, she realized Miroku had come to peer inside with her, and they both took a look at the layout of glittering gemstones. Black velvet filled the case, amethysts and sapphires laying on top, bright halogen lamps inside catching on the facets and setting them to their brightest glitter. "Beautiful..." she breathed after a moment, a finger lightly tapping against the glass. There was nothing like that in their era; nothing so perfectly cut and fashioned that she had ever seen. Even the glass was rare, so hard and difficult to find.

Beside her, Miroku glanced at the profile of her face. The light from the display reflected in her eyes, making them brighter, and it caused him to smile slightly. "Let's go in for a moment."

The suggestion made her lift her head, and she looked at him, startled. "Oh, no, houshi-sama, we should keep going. We shouldn't just stand around and just look at things." Her protest softened slightly, and she glanced away, eyes sliding back towards the jewelry. "We don't have time to have fun."

Miroku followed her gaze, then looked at her again. "I'm sure it will be fine to stop for a moment. We will never get the chance again, once we return home."

That made her lift her head again, and she looked at him evenly. He returned her gaze, waiting for her to decide. Slowly, she agreed, aware of the way he spoke. "Are you sure?"

"Everyone seems to just go in and out, without necessarily buying things. If we're just ordinary people out for an afternoon stroll, then it would be expected for us to stop every once in awhile."

He half turned, waiting for her to follow, and after a moment she did. The concept of glass doors had seemed quite amazing the day before, but they were a bit more used to it now, and Miroku took one of the handles, pulling it open to let Sango through as she gently pushed Kirara back inside the purse, gesturing for her to be silent. Red eyes blinked up at her for a moment as she sunk into the purse's shadows, wriggling and then growing still.

Inside, it was quiet, soft classical music playing over the intercom system in the store. Bright chandeliers hung from the ceiling, providing warm white light from above, reflecting off the silvery edges of glass cases. There were customers here and there, a clerk helping one couple by unlocking a case and drawing out an emerald necklace, much to the pleased expression on the woman's face.

Holding the straps of her purse a bit more tightly, Sango looked around the store wide eyed, eyes roaming across the chandeliers, the rich carpet, and the various items of jewelry on display. She moved towards one of the closer cases, noticing that the top was also made of the fine glass, letting her look downward and see the jewelry as well. Miroku kept a step behind her, trying to keep from staring around to satisfy his own curiosity at the place. In here, there were enough gems to keep a person set for life. It was more than any daimyo would ever have, and in this era they kept everything out on display to just look at. He wondered how they protected it all.

Sango had paused at one of the cases, eyes catching on an array of clear stones. They looked like liquid water, like unmeltable ice frozen hard and still, cut to catch the light that was shed upon them from the bright lamps inside the case. Black claret velvet heightened the contrast of prismatic light, tiny rainbows caught inside the gemstones. There was one was set like teardrop, slightly tilted on a white gold band, smaller stones splashed around its edge. "This one is so beautiful," she whispered, trying not to leave smudge marks on the clean glass.

Behind the case, a figure moved, and Sango glanced up to see a woman appear, smiling. She wore a fashionable, trim black suit, her dark red hair pulled back in a neat bun at the nape of her neck. "Konnichiwa," she greeted, including Miroku in her smile. "Can I help two you with something?"

"Ah...um..." Sango tried, not really sure of herself. She remembered how Setsuna and Kami had acted in the clothing stores the other day, simply taking blouses and skirts off the racks and urging her to try them on. Here, though, the items apparently for sale were locked up, and the way of looking at them quite different. This felt like a worse idea by the moment, since she had no idea what to say. If she asked to look at something, would she have to buy it? Things like this were sure to be expensive, and she didn't have any money. Not that she'd really know how to count it out even if she did. "We're...just looking at the jewelry." she managed after a moment.

"Yes," Miroku agreed after a moment, realizing that it would be easy for either of them to make a mistake with another person questioning. "They are very pretty. They look rather expensive, though."

That brought out a chuckle from the woman, and she waved her hand. "These are actually on sale this week," she told them, not really noticing the odd glance exchanged between Sango and Miroku. Was the jewelry not always for sale? Was it sometimes just too look at? Did it belong to someone else? "They are very lovely. It's a summer special I'm running all week. So you two are in luck."

"Ah..." Miroku faltered a bit, trying to figure out what to say. "Something _you're_ running all week? Are these your jewels to sell?"

The woman laughed, nodding. "I'm Osaka Natsumi, and OSA-P is my store. I just got this set of diamonds in less than a week ago, and they've been quite popular." She smiled a bit more at Miroku, then turned to look at Sango. "Is there anything you'd like to look at or try on?" She tilted her head, trying to get a better look at Sango's hands. They were clasped together, as though slightly nervous. Looking between the two, she tried not to laugh without something being said. Out shopping for diamond rings and acting nervous? It was sweet, and she'd seen the type before. "Well, you look like you have slim hands...one of these will probably fit nicely. Anything you'd like to try?"

Sango looked from the woman to the display again, eyeing the teardrop shaped diamond. Osaka-san had said 'try on' and that was what Setsuna and Kami said she did with clothes...and they hadn't bought everything she'd 'tried on' so it was likely this was the same way. Maybe the jewelry was locked up just because it was so expensive. "Y...yes..." Sango began reluctantly, glancing at Miroku, who was shrugging. "The...the pretty one...that one, there."

Osaka-san knelt down a bit, taking a key off her bracelet and unlocked the case, drawing out a bit of black velvet and the ring Sango had pointed out. "Excellent taste," she told Sango, laying the pieces on top of the glass. Then she glanced at Miroku, who was just standing there and watching uncertainly. An amused smile formed on her lips, and she picked up the ring, handing it to him. Young couples were so adorable, but sometimes so clueless. "Why don't you slip it on her finger to see if it fits, ne?"

"Me?" Miroku blinked, half backing away as the woman pressed the ring towards him. He wasn't really sure why_ he _had to do it.

"Ah, don't tell me you're afraid to touch her!" Natsumi laughed, shaking her head and urging him to accept it. Sango had suddenly folded her arms, looking annoyed. Well, he'd tried to touch just about everything _other_ than her hand before, so putting a ring on her finger really shouldn't be a problem. There was that, and he didn't want Sango being reminded of his little wandering hands problem for the rest of the day, storming around being irritated with him.

Reluctantly, he accepted the ring, reaching forward and sliding Sango's hand out from where she had folded it. She kept her head down, and he realized she was blushing slightly, biting her lip and trying not to look embarrassed as he tried to slip the ring on.  
"Other hand."

Both started, turning to see Natsumi leaning on her elbows on the case. She was waving a hand airily, pointing at them.

"Other hand. Left, not right."

Miroku hesitated, then took Sango's other hand, slipping the ring over her finger until it stopped. She held it up to the light of the chandelier, letting it catch in the facets, watching the rainbows play inside the prism.

"I...think it fits..." Sango managed, trying to fight the blush away. This felt very odd for some reason. It was just a ring. A very pretty, beautiful ring, but just a ring. Looking at the woman again, she smiled faintly. "It's lovely."

"Arigatou," came the reply. Then a curious, "When did you two meet?"

"Meet?" Miroku repeated, looking at Sango. "I don't know...it's been a few months now, hasn't it?"

"Yes...how many new moons has it been since I met the rest of you?"

Miroku shook his head. "I haven't kept count. We could ask Kagome-sama or Inuyasha when we see them later today."

Natsumi was a little confused by the conversation. It almost sounded like they didn't know what she just asked them. "But you are looking for rings?" she persisted.

That interrupted them, and they glanced at her. Sango looked down, lightly cradling her left hand, where the ring lay. She smiled gently, then began to slip it off, pulling it away and handing it back. "We were looking, Osaka-san. We really don't have enough money to buy something like this, even though it is 'on sale' this week."

A sympathetic smile formed on Natsumi's face, and she nodded, placing the ring back inside the case. "I see. It's all right, and understandable. Sometimes you have plans, but not the money to back them up just yet. It's hard just starting out. Everything is so new and different."

Sango and Miroku exchanged glances. "Everything is very...new and different, Osaka-san," Miroku agreed, wondering what the woman was thinking. Was there some connection between rings and being someplace new? He couldn't think of any, but then this was five hundred years after the time he was familiar with. Maybe it was a new custom.

Natsumi was nodding in agreement, locking the ring back up. "I wish you the best of luck then. Please, feel free to come back if you decide to get the ring after all. We keep them under warranty, and we also have a down payment program."

"Uh..." Miroku stuttered, trying to figure out what 'warranty' and 'down payment' meant. He recovered quickly, smiling. "Arigatou...but we can't. We will be sure to return if some money comes our way. You have some very lovely jewelry, Osaka-san."

"Arigatou," she bowed, straightening up and smiling. Then she blinked as she noticed the young man suddenly turn away, a frown deepening on hs face. The young woman with him was following his gaze, stepping half away as she noticed a new person enter in the door.

Osaka-san wasn't very sure of why there was a sudden tension in the air. It was warm outside, but when the doors opened to admit the woman, it felt like a winter gust of wind accompanied her. There was something unusual in the way the newcomer carried herself, something haughty and yet calm, possessing a certain carelessness. She stood framed in the glass doors, clothed in a sleek blue and black dress, a light blue hat tilted on the side of her head, contrasting to straight white hair, which fell around her shoulders. Ice blue eyes slipped across the store, settling on Sango and Miroku. A smile formed on her lips, and she lifted a hand to show off a heavy bracelet on her wrist.

"Taiji-ya-san, houshi-sama. I, Viluy, at Level 202 Death Busters...shall defeat you."

* * *

Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake~Omake

Osaka Natsumi wasn't very sure of why there was a sudden tension in the air. It was warm outside, but when the doors opened, it was as though a jungle heat swept through the store. A figure was framed in the doorway, a bizarre woman with green skin, wearing a nearly non-existent, skimpy tiger-striped bikini, with gigantic pink petals for her hair.

Yes, it was a Random Youma from the Sailor Moon anime.

Random Youma #1: ROAR!!!!

Everyone in the room was stupefied by the bizarre-ness of Random Youma #1. At least until Sango sighed, folded her arms and glanced at the gaping Miroku beside her.

"Well, houshi-sama. You want to try asking that thing to bear your child?"

Miroku: blink blink Uh....

* * *

I have entirely too much fun playing with Sango and Miroku.  
Bwahaha.  
I had the idea for the OSA-P scene, and Kagome knowing what rings (particularly ones with diamonds) mean, the scene didn't fit for Inuyasha and Kagome. I think I cackled though the writing process of that entire scene.... Thanks go out to Quicksilver for supplying the name of Naru's Mom. (I'm not sure if it's ever said. She's just 'Naru's Mom.')  
Obviously, with the end of this chapter, we're back to plot again. ^.~  
Til next storytime.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 18: Stalemate-

If she moved against the humans, the cat would attack. To try to escape the cat, the humans would have enough time to reach her, drawing any weaponry they had as they came. Either way, she could take out one, but in the end, not be able to finish off all of them, failing. Though at the same time, she knew that no matter who she hit, she would take out at least one member of their fighting force. Also, she could easily hit someone in their audience, and that they could not allow. That meant one thing.  
Stalemate.


	19. Stalemate

Of This World And Yesterday

_Cold as death, death bearing._  
_Stay and die, unguided._  
_Brave and braving, linger._  
_This way was twice decided._  
_-Anne McCaffrey, Dragonflight_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 18- Stalemate

"Taiji-ya-san, houshi-sama. I, Viluy, at Level 202 Death Busters...shall defeat you."  
There was silence in the jewelry store, a kind of disbelieving breathlessness, held by the handful of people scattered at the various glass cases, wide eyed at the announcement. Perhaps if it had been said differently, someone would have laughed, thinking it a joke. But there was a deadly seriousness underlying the woman's tone.

In the instant before the witch attacked, Miroku lifted his voice, shouting, "Everyone get down!"

The result was simultaneous, people screaming and diving down in the same moment Viluy drew back her arm, aiming between Sango and Miroku. "_Mosaic Buster!_"

The blast impacted behind the counter, Sango and Miroku splitting apart as they leapt to the sides, avoiding the spray of strangely glittering flecks of blackness. Osaka Natsumi jerked backward in her panic to avoid the things, which shot straight for the place she had been running. She watched as they embedded themselves in the wall behind her, digging into the smooth surface and sending tiny sparks up the wiring. At the sound of Miroku's warning, she decided to head for the silent alarm, to call for help, to call the police. Now, popping noises were coming from the wiring system, and the acidic smell of charred metal was filtering outward.

Looking up from where he landed, Miroku watched as their clerk grew pale, sinking below the countertop with wide eyes. She had been heading for something, and now whatever it was had been destroyed. Lacy speckles of blackness were tracing their way outward in the white wall, stark against the paleness and chewing through the surface.

"Ah, you see it then?" came Viluy's voice silkily, and he looked back at her, noticing that Kirara had emerged beside Sango, her hackles raised but not yet transforming. They were too close to others, and people could get hurt. Another one of Osaka-san's clerks was quietly urging people behind the counter with her, behind the tentative safety of the cases. Made of glass, they were of more comfort than defense, but it kept them aside and out of the way.

The dark veins in the wall were growing steadily blacker, tiny crackles of blue energy chewing through the drywall and revealing electrical systems underneath. The attack itself seemed like a blur, a blue white beam that sliced through the air. If it were only that, then what was creeping through the walls? It was consuming them....

Viluy was watching him with narrowed eyes, a faint smile on her face as he began to understand what he was witnessing. "My nano-robots are my own invention. They consume the flesh, leaving only your pure soul, your Hoste, behind." She lifted her arm up again, indicating the heavy blue bracelet. "How fascinating it would be, to watch them enlarge that hole in your hand, houshi-sama. I wonder what happens to it when it gets too big?"

From where she knelt, Sango saw Miroku tense, stiffening as he realized any effectiveness of the kazaana had just been eliminated, unless he chose to run the risk of dying. If what the witch said was true, then even hiraikotsu would be ruined within a few moments of contact with the...nan-oh-ro-bots. It was made of youkai bone, strong though still made of an organic substance. This witch's attack left them nearly helpless. In the small space of the store, there was even less room to maneuver, increasing the chances of her scoring a hit on either herself, houshi-sama, Kirara or one of the other people in the store. This was not a good place to fight.

If she was a kugutsu, the same way the Eudial one was, then she would need to find a way to cut her through the chest, destroying the poppet inside. The two introduced themselves the same way, and if the Death Busters were all dead, then that was the only reasonable conclusion. She was a kugutsu. With their attacks nearly useless, they'd need help. That meant buying Miroku enough time to use that communicator thing Michiru had given him before they separated. She just hoped he remembered how to make it work properly.

With Viluy's attention on Miroku, she only saw Sango move out of the corner of her eye, a flash of motion before the other woman was grabbing onto her, hands wrapping around her wrists and pulling hard, jerking the one decorated with a bracelet into the air and out of firing range. "Houshi-sama! The communicator!"

She heard him begin calling into the thing, "Uranus? A jewelry store..."

The warning sent to the senshi resulted in a shriek of outrage from Viluy, and she struggled harder against Sango's death grip. Fighting this way was not easy- it was clumsy and ineffective, trying to jerk the kugutsu around to buy time. It would take only a few moments to break out of the hold, but while she held on, Sango knew for certain this was no human, in any sense. As they grappled, she could feel no bones under the skin, nothing shifting or grating as she squeezed. Though this was not a human, it had a human appearance and human strength, finally stepping forward to unbalance Sango, then jerking a wrist out of its lock to jab an elbow backward towards Sango's stomach.

"Kirara!"

The cat had been waiting for a signal, and at Sango's call and release of Viluy, she leapt forward, transforming as the two collided, sending them both flying outward in a screaming ball of flames. The glass doors to OSA-P shattered as they busted their way through, one shearing off its hinges as the other exploded into a waterfall of glass shards, scattering on the ground.

People on the street began screaming as they broke into the pavement, Kirara landing with the witch beneath her, fangs bared, but leapt up and away as soon as she saw the two human arms brought forward, aimed at point blank range at the firecat's chest. Snarling, the firecat landed on top of one of the parked cars, roaring as much at Viluy as at the audience around them. Too many people around made things dangerous, too many unarmed civilians to get hit by one of the nano-robots being used. A fierce youkai cat would, if nothing else, frighten them back. Fortunately, she was successful, alarmed pedestrians edging away as Viluy rolled back to her feet in time to face off with Sango and Miroku, who were running through the front doors.

As they made it to the sidewalk, they watched as Viluy carefully positioned herself at an angle so she could keep both the two humans and the youkai cat in her vision. The struggle with Sango and the attack from Kirara had unsettled some of the witch's composure, injuring her. The blue hat was gone, knocked aside as she crashed through the doors, and cuts from glass had sliced her bare arms and back. Below the skin's surface, there was a rippling, and small shoots could been seen sprouting through from where there were gashes. Made of plants and roots, the kugutsu was appearing less than human, and the observers did not know what was going on. Two people and a youkai cat, facing off against a bizarre, inhuman woman. The attention to the sidewalk had slowed and stopped traffic, drivers parking their cars to step out and see what was causing the traffic jam.

"There are too many people here," Miroku began reasonably, still ready in case Viluy attacked again. "This is no place to fight, and you know it as well as we do."

She nearly snorted, bringing up her hands to a ready position. "Their welfare," she said, referring to the crowd, "does not concern me."

Her hesitation on attacking was enough to confirm the fact that she knew their situation as well; this was no place to fight. No room, too many people. At the moment, she was half surrounded, with two people in front of her, and a youkai cat almost beside her, ready to pounce. If she moved against the humans, the cat would attack. To try to escape the cat, the humans would have enough time to reach her, drawing any weaponry they had as they came. Either way, she could take out one, but in the end, not be able to finish off all of them, failing. Though at the same time, she knew that no matter who she hit, she would take out at least one member of their fighting force. Also, she could easily hit someone in their audience, and that they could not allow. That meant one thing.  
Stalemate.

The people watched, uncertain as to what they were witnessing. It was Kirara that was most puzzling, since those outside the store had not seen Viluy attack magically with her nano-robots. They edged around, wanting to watch, but also too afraid to grow any closer. The din of traffic in the distance grew fainter as they watched each side size the other up, each attempting to read the others next move, to counter it as it began.  
It was the crowd itself that provided the breaking of the silence. From up the street, a ripple began to force people apart, startled cries mingled with audible gasps. The approaching sounds snapped their concentration, and each moved in the same instant.

"Mosaic Buster!"

This time, Viluy chose Sango as her opponent, aiming for the taiji-ya as she leapt to one side, rolling back to her feet as Kirara took to the air, landing beside Sango and allowing her to grab on as she bounded upward again, using the side of the building to pivot midair, turning just above where the nano-robots had hit, already embedding themselves into the brick. Seeing that her first blast failed, Viluy swept her arm around, firing a second time at Miroku as Kirara pounced down, Sango sweeping out a hand to catch Miroku's, sweeping him up as they cleared the ground just as the second shot sped out into the crowd.

"Deep Submerge!"

A globe of glowing saltwater blazed outward from the audience as two new figures arrived, the people making way as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune appeared from behind, running, Neptune still with her hand out, the energy of her watery attack impacting head on with the nano-robots. There was a crackling from within the deluge of water. The tiny size of the nano-robots allowed them to slice through the liquid, emerging on the opposite end.

Sailor Neptune ran straight into them.

Her scream was half strangled as they sped around her, eyes widening in shock at the immediate retaliation, the nano-robots having met with something living, something breathing and alive. From the air, Miroku heard Sango gasp, and she urged Kirara down again, drawing hiraikotsu from the faintly glowing bracelet on her left wrist. Uranus had frozen as her partner was hit, abruptly stopping to turn and witness the other slowly crumple to her knees.

_"Neptune!"_

The sound of Uranus' voice cut through to her, and Neptune lifted her head, meeting the other's eyes, hard. As hiraikotsu was flung downward from above, Viluy leapt aside, the sharpened end of the boomerang embedding itself into the ground where she had stood. For years now, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune had fought alongside one another. Together, they discovered their powers. Together, they fought the Death Busters alone, long before joining with any other senshi. They knew the way each other thought, perhaps better than even Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen, fighting and acting as one. And as the nano-robots began to dig their way into her skin, the expression Neptune gave Uranus was also an order. Keep away.

Uranus turned in time to see Viluy turn once more, watching as Kirara leapt higher into the air, circling around for a run at hiraikotsu. Viluy knew she had a moment before they were a threat, and spun to see Sailor Uranus look away from Neptune. There was an unreadable expression on her face, both blank and furious, a rage building up inside her as their eyes locked.

"Mosaic Buster!"

"World Shaking!"

The two attacks collided, Uranus running forward, a half step behind the orb of golden light she released from her fingertips, a weapon forming in her hands. If her attack did not destroy Viluy's, then she was taking her down as the nano-robots dug onto her own skin.

Inside the planetary orb of light, the tiny machines were crackling, their surface tension beginning to snap under high pressure they were trapped in. They popped, erupting into a tiny shower of electrical sparks, flying outward around Sailor Uranus as she gripped her sword with two hands, meeting Viluy at the same moment the first attack shocked her.  
"Space Sword..._Blaster!_"

A blade of golden light sliced through the air a fraction of a second before the blade itself met with the kugutsu of Viluy. Her attacks meeting at almost the exact same moment, Viluy shuddered as she began to split apart, eyes flying wide with shock as she collapsed, the roots and dirt that composed her puppet body breaking away onto the sidewalk, cascading out from a tiny, broken doll in its center.

Kirara landed silently beside hiraikotsu, and her two passengers watching as Sailor Uranus stood, her sword vanishing back into subspace.

A murmur ran through the onlookers, and they warily stepped away from the area before OSA-P. People saw the senshi, close. Saw them fight and saw one fall, watching as they destroyed an enemy. Two of the braver onlookers tried to step forward, one beginning to kneel down to where Sailor Neptune fell, curling up on her side on the cement.

Then there was a furious roar, "Get away from her!"

Quickly, they backed away as Sailor Uranus ran the few steps back to Neptune, turning her over and brushing away a lock of aqua colored hair.

Sango reached over, tugging hiraikotsu out of the ground, and letting it slide back into its pocket warp, hearing a jangle of beads from behind her as Miroku opened the kazaana, sucking away the remains of the kugutsu. Kirara lifted her head, making a half growling sound and alerting Sango that something was wrong. Uranus was holding up Neptune, her eyes tightly closed. They were close enough for Sango to see that there were pock marks left on Neptune's skin, tiny black spots where the nano-robots had impacted. Though they were no longer glowing, they remained, despite the destruction of the kugutsu.

Uranus was cradling Neptune, holding her upward and running a hand over the black scars. "Neptune. Neptune?" Her response was for Neptune's eyes to flicker open a moment, then flutter closed again. Panic began to well up inside Uranus as Neptune went limp, head turning to the side as she was pulled closer, face paling as Uranus bent her head, feeling a faint, familiar heartbeat beside her ear.

The world had become very quiet outside the store, people averting eyes in respect for the fallen senshi. That kind of silence could be overwhelming, drowning out sound and thought in a white wave, destroying everything as it let the world sink into itself.  
Far in the distance, a bell began to sound.

In the stillness, no one listened. It was easy to drown out everyday sounds, things you hear repeatedly. Unless they are important to you, why pay attention to them? After all, this was a bell that sounded every afternoon, signaling the end of that day of school.  
Uranus' head lifted suddenly, blue eyes flying wide.

Those standing closest to them heard her say, "She'll be home."

And then, Neptune in her arms, she was running faster than she ever had before.

* * *

Adjusting the straps of her bunny shaped backpack, Chibiusa sighed with resignation. In light of current events, she'd decided to stop at Hotaru's house after school to check on Setsuna. Knowing the other senshi, they'd be on their way there relatively soon as well, wanting to know if there was any change. The Outers house was in the fringes of Juuban, with a wide, well kept lawn, hedged with blooming rainbow colored flowers. The brightness of them was faded though in the afternoon sunlight, the color there dimmed through the assorted worries running through Chibiusa's mind. She sighed, unfolding a piece of stiff white paper, instructions for a new school assignment typewritten across the page.

"You'd think," she grumbled, "between Kami-san's being here and our current visitors, I'd get either the Heian or the sengoku jidai. But what does sensei assign me?" Sighing again, she refolded the paper and tucked it into the pocket of her backpack, "The Meiji. I could have had eyewitness accounts of what life was like then for the report, and I get stuck with the era nobody lived through."

Beside her, Hotaru stopped moving on the sidewalk leading to her home. Silently, she pulled her books up to her chest, hugging them slightly as Chibiusa realized her friend was no longer beside her, pausing to turn back. "Hotaru-chan?"

There was a distant look on Hotaru's face, her purple eyes downcast and still, short hair falling diagonally past her chin. "I'm sure Setsuna-mama has some books you can borrow in the library, Chibiusa-chan. I'll help you look."

Mentally, Chibiusa kicked herself. Of all people, she herself should have been more considerate. After all, she was going home with Hotaru to visit Puu, the first friend she ever made; the Guardian of Time who watched the eras pass from her distant post at the Timegate. Since Chibiusa caught up with Hotaru at her school, the senshi of Saturn had remained quiet, even for Hotaru. Watching her, there was something hanging about her presence that reminded Chibiusa oddly of the time just before Mistress 9 took over her mind and body. Wistful, sad, and distant, though still thoughtful towards her friend. "Hotaru-chan. Puu'll wake up. It's like Minako-chan said yesterday. Puu's too strong to be knocked out like this," she peered around a bit, trying to see Hotaru's expression. "It's her own power. It may knock her out, but your own powers won't kill you."

Hotaru closed her eyes slowly, taking a calming breath and focusing on Chibiusa's worried face. "Our own powers are strong, Chibiusa-chan. They're made for killing. But you're right. Setsuna-mama won't die from this," she pushed a smile onto her face, and Chibiusa tried to smile in return, her brows knitting together, suspecting Hotaru was cheering up only to keep her from worrying. The slightly taller girl began to walk forward again, reaching into her pocket and taking out a key as she climbed the steps to the wide front porch, slipping it into the lock and turning it as she continued, "There must always be a Guardian of Time."

Opening the front door, they headed towards the living room, pausing in the arch of the entranceway to watch. Over the last couple days, with Haruka and Michiru returning from Vienna, added to the extra sheets and clothes lent and brought by Sango and Kagome, the laundry at the home of the Outer senshi had become somewhat similar to a mountain of fabric, currently piled high in a bushel on the coffee table. Apparently the fighting, injuries, and time displaced travelers were not enough excuse to prevent Kami from running the house while everyone else was out. At the moment, the petite senshi of dreams was shaking out a bundled up bedsheet, the rose colored folds flying outward from her hands as the fabric unfurled, smelling faintly of spring scented detergent. Below her, Shippou was running around with his hands up, trying to snatch at the free ends.  
"Oy! I can help!"

Kami smiled, flapping the loose end higher and out of his reach. "Ah, Shippou-kun, your arms aren't long enough. Mine barely are," she laughed, arms wide as she pinched the ends, halving the length of the cloth, then folded it over again down the middle. "You're too small. I'll finish..." she trailed, then noticed the arrival of Hotaru and Chibiusa, the pink haired future princess shrugging her backpack off her shoulders as Hotaru set her stack of textbooks on one of the reclining chairs. "Welcome home, Hotaru-chan, Chibiusa-chan," Kami greeted, her smile fading slowly away as she waited for them to ask the inevitable question.

"How's Puu?"

The pile of folded sheets grew a bit taller as Kami dropped the one she was holding on top, running a hand over the cotton surface to pat it down. "The chills seem to be gone," she told them as Shippou clambered up onto the coffee table, leaning forward and glancing between the various senshi. "She's resting more easily now, though she hasn't stirred."

"We've been keeping an eye on her all day," Shippou added after a moment. "Has anything happened? We've just been doing laundry and stuff."

Hotaru shook her head, then picked up her books again, trying to decide whether or not to go sit with Setsuna for awhile. "Not that we know of. We came straight home, in case Setsuna-mama woke up...you'd have to call Haruka-papa or Michiru-mama to see if they found anything with Sango-san and Miroku-san today."

From the coffee table, Shippou sighed, glancing at the sheets still left to fold in the bushel. He'd been introduced to the washing machine and the dryer today, both equally dull, though he saw how they'd be useful. "Would they call if they found anything? On the tela-phone?"

"Communicator," Chibiusa told him, rummaging through her bags. "If there was time for anything important, or if they couldn't handle it. Hotaru-chan, I'm going to check on Puu...you want to come with or...."

Her words were sharply cut off as the front door was kicked open, left unlocked from their recent entrance. Haruka stood there, breathing hard, an unconscious Kaioh Michiru cradled in her arms. Through the entranceway, she saw Hotaru at one of the chairs, a startled expression on her face from the abrupt arrival. "Hotaru!"

It took barely a moment for everyone to move, seeing the look of barely contained panic on Haruka's face, and the limp form of Michiru with her, the dark folds of her dress rumpled from what was apparently a very fast trip. "Haruka-papa? What happened?"

"Her body isn't rejecting the nano-robots naturally," Haruka was saying, the words tripping rapidly from her mouth in a rush as she shoved her way past everyone, laying Michiru out on the couch as Hotaru quickly moved to her other side, seeing the black flecks that marred her white skin. "They seem dormant, but they're not leaving, and she hasn't regained consciousness, and I don't know why she wouldn't reject them!"

From behind, Shippou pushed back a lock of Kami's hair, having taken a seat on her shoulder as everyone scurried either towards Michiru or away from Haruka, giving them space to act. Behind him, he heard new footsteps, familiar ones, as Sango and Miroku burst through the front door, a small Kirara bounding along behind them. On reaching the scene, each drew up sharply, watching the strange display being played out before them.  
Hotaru knelt beside Michiru, brushing waves of aquamarine hair from her face, then resting thin hands on her cheeks, cupping her face gently as she leaned closer, her eyes becoming slightly vague, the purple of her irises spiraling larger, making her gaze an empty void. Straight dark hair slanted forward, cutting a sharp angle along her chin and veiling her face as her hands drew on a brightness, a faint light that caressed the familiar face of her adopted mother.

"What is she doing?" Shippou breathed, eyes wide as a prickling sensation raced up his spine. The image before him was eerie, haunting somehow, though not quite frightening. There was a warmth to it, though laced with a chill.

Lightly, Kami drew her hands up to her lips in thought and nervousness, watching Hotaru as she worked. "Hotaru draws her power from Saturn, the planet of death and destruction. Perhaps the power of healing comes as some small compensation for the duty of being the soldier of silence."

They stood still for a moment, watching as the faint brightness in Hotaru's hands strengthened, flickering slowly over the length of Michiru's body. As the light progressed, Sango and Miroku slowly straightened up, relaxing slightly as Hotaru continued. To heal with the power of a planet of death....

Hesitantly, Miroku began, "There were these things she threw out. Another kugutsu. She called them nan-oh-ro-botos," he managed, trying to remember what had been said. "She called herself Viluy."

"Viluy?" Chibiusa repeated, lifting her head to look at Miroku, who stood beside her. "She was another one of the Witches 5. Ami-chan was hit by the nano-robots before, when the real Viluy attacked her at Mugen Academy. But..." she glanced at Haruka, who was standing just behind Hotaru, her fists clenched and face strained with worry. "As Mercury, she rejected them immediately. She was just out for a little while."

"Kugutsu aren't supposed to be as strong as the real thing," Sango murmured, holding Kirara a bit more tightly. "If they'd been rejected before, wouldn't they be rejected again? The...things?"

"I don't know," Chibiusa sighed helplessly, shaking her head. "Ami would know more, it happened to her. But if the kugutsu isn't really Viluy, maybe those nano-robots are something else. Maybe they just look like them, and she was saying they were real."  
Kami was nodding silently, and Shippou shifted around to keep his balance. "Ne, Chibiusa," he asked the pink haired girl, "what's a nano-ro-bot?"

"A little machine," she told him, holding up her hands and showing him with her fingers. "A 'nano-robot' is just a really little one, and Viluy controlled them."

"So they're metal?"

That earned him a nod in reply, and he glanced at Miroku. "Kugutsu are made out of roots and dirt and stuff, right?"

Miroku blinked at the kitsune once, then a thoughtful look crossed his face. "An imitation of the real thing," he realized, following Shippou's train of thought and glancing again at the couch again. The light around Michiru's body had faded, and Haruka was leaning closer as Hotaru's treatment ended. "One that would take root in the body if hit."  
"Seeds, houshi-sama? Without looking close, we wouldn't be able to tell...and they spread inside the walls at the store place."

"That is possible," he agreed, folding his arms and rocking back on his heels. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to make sense. Some kind of magic, mimicking the real attack. The kugutsu of Eudial had used fire; that was easy to replicate. Machines, he had discovered, were hard to create. At least he thought so, not having a clue as to how to make one. "Having some form of life on their own, they may not necessarily be rejected by the death of the kugutsu."

"I'm going to kill the bitch who did this," Haruka remarked, half to herself, half to anyone within hearing distance. As Hotaru leaned back on her knees, the older senshi leaned down, placing a hand on Michiru's cheek. Her own expression softened slightly, relaxing as she saw the pain that had been there was gone. "Arigatou, Hotaru-chan," she told her absently, bending down and scooping up Michiru again, gently. "I'm going to make sure she's all right," she finished, and as a thought crossed her mind, she turned back as she began to leave. "How's Sets?"

"Asleep," Kami replied quietly, clasping her hands together tightly. "Resting."

"Good," she acknowledged brusquely, then looked to where Hotaru still sat, head bowed. "Hotaru-chan, get some sleep yourself, ne? We don't need you keeling over on us too."

"Yes, Haruka-papa," Hotaru agreed quietly resting an arm of the coffee table beside her and closing her eyes as the leader of the Outer senshi left the room, heading upstairs.

"Hotaru-chan?" Kami began, taking a tentative step forward and reaching out a hand.

Softly, Hotaru sighed, "I'm fine," as she lifted her head, turning pale eyes on them. "What were you saying? I wasn't listening...."

"Just that it was an imitation," Chibiusa told her, biting her lip nervously and taking a step closer. "Kugutsu are made of earth and roots...it might have been seeds or something, an imitation of Viluy's old attack...."

Hotaru agreed silently, cupping her hands and looking at them. They were fine, small and tapered, callused where she held the Silence Glaive, practicing sparring with the halberd, to be more effective when needed. "They burrowed into her skin...Michiru-mama is strong. She fought it." Tensely, Hotaru ran a hand through her hair, letting her hand rest on her own shoulder for a moment as she sighed, then stood slowly. "I'm going to lie down, Chibiusa-chan, onee-san. Good night," she bowed slightly towards Sango and Miroku, turning and heading into the dimness of the hallway, lit only by a patch of light let in from the screen door. Soft footfalls sounded above them, and then faded into silence.

"She doesn't look so good," Shippou commented as he turned around to see Kami's face. She looked pensive, lips drawn thin and lavender eyes still trailing after the vanished form of her younger 'sister.' The usually gentle expression on her face was gone, replaced with something harder, more determined.

"I will be working tonight," Kami said, the others looking at her a bit oddly. "Something is not right with Hotaru-chan."

"We'd better call Kagome-chan and Inuyasha," Sango decided as the silence hung. "And the rest of your friends. They'll want to know about this."

"I'll call," Chibiusa announced, heading for her bookbag and rummaging until she found her own communicator. "It won't take long for everyone to get here."

After a moment, the sounds of Chibiusa contacting the senshi filled the living room, and the others settled down to wait.

* * *

Another Witches 5 kugutsu. Viluy only had one episode in the _Sailormoon_ anime, but I liked her...she was the brainiac of the bunch, in both anime and manga formats. She faced off with Sailor Mercury, (so of course I had to liker her storyline...yay, more Ami-chan!) and in the manga, it seemed like Ami was able to reject the nanorobots and heal fairly quickly from them. Kugutsu-Viluy's 'nanorobots' are basically just an imitation. Though the kugutsu look, talk, and act like the real thing (or at least Karasu's memories of the real thing....) they are not...Viluy's nanorobots were metallic, computerized things and I doubt Karasu would spend _that _much time putting _that_ much detail into her puppets. ^.~ I figured if she was basically a bunch of roots, then her imitation would be seeds.

Neptune's falling scene was a bit melodramatic, but...that's what popped into my head. The school bells tolling in the background. Hotaru has her healing abilities in both anime and manga formats of _Sailormoon._

And one last thing that I've been somewhat neglecting- I always listen to music while I write, and for this particular chapter, the 'soundtrack' would be the background music to _Rurouni Kenshin,_ particularly the _Warrior's Suite_ for the battle sequence and Neptune's fall. If you have the music, pop it in the cd player (or put it on Winamp...) and play. Though I guess that information doesn't do too much good here at the end of the chapter now that you've read it. Ah well. ^.~

Til next storytime.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 19: Matches-

Kagome's frown was deepening as she looked at the neatly seperated quarters in front of her. Viluy's not having anything with her suggested haste, as though it was something thrown together at the last moment. But they were being watched, weren't they? Shouldn't she be prepared by now? "Like she was just attacking them to..." Kagome shook her head, trying to clear it. If they were distractions, what were they being distracted from?


	20. Matches

Of This World And Yesterday

_"...between desiring good and desiring evil there is but a brief step,_  
_because it is always a matter of directing the will."_  
_-Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 19- Matches

She sliced down carefully, moving her fingers aside as dribbles of tomato juice slid out of her incision, messily pooling out onto the wooden cutting board. A bowl of freshly chopped tomatoes sat in front of her, wet edges gleaming in the fluorescent lights from above. The kitchen itself was busy, the various Inner Senshi following the orders of the resident culinary genius, Kino Makoto, who was currently browning meat in a frying pan at the stove. Kagome glanced again at Usagi, who was sitting beside her at the kitchen table, the other girl slicing off pats of creamy butter, then applying them in an uneven line on the inside of some Italian bread they found in Michiru's pantry.

It took awhile for everyone to arrive, once alerted by Chibiusa to the most recent happenings. She and Inuyasha had been the last to make it to the Outer's house, not being equipped with one of the communicators the senshi used to keep in touch. There had been a flurry of worried explanations as they were updated, and Ami and Mamoru had run upstairs to see Michiru themselves, as well as check on Setsuna's progress. Another kugutsu appearing, this time as the witch Viluy. They'd been fortunate the attack she'd used was merely an imitation; who knew what the result would have been had it been real?

As the evening progressed, Usagi had been the one to bring up the fact it was dinnertime, and wasn't anyone else getting hungry yet? Several sets of eyes switched to Makoto, who shrugged and headed into the kitchen, sifting through the cabinets and pantry until she found enough of something to make food for so many people. Michiru had a couple of slightly dusty boxes of spaghetti in the back of her pantry, and they'd found some ground meat in the freezer. So spaghetti it was.

Makoto, being the queen of the kitchen, drafted people into helping her out, assigning tasks to the various people now standing around the kitchen. Kagome sliced tomatoes for sauce, while Minako stood at the counter, peeling garlic cloves, thin leaves crumbling around her fingers. Rei was grating parmesan cheese and standing next to Minako, Kagome noticing how she kept a wary eye on both Minako and Usagi, slowly suspecting that neither blonde was exactly renowned for their culinary skills.

Slowly, the warm smells of cooking food filled the house, of browning beef and the first batch of garlic bread, now toasting in the broiler. Makoto seemed to understand the concept of feeding an army, which was more or less what she was undertaking.

Setting aside her knife, Kagome scooped up a handful of the diced tomatoes and deposited them with the rest of the bowl in front of her, glancing again as Usagi frowned in concentration, slapping the butter into the bread. Apparently, this was considered 'safe' enough for her to handle, since she wasn't the one actually putting in or taking out the bread from the broiler.

"What I'd like to know is why she had the kugutsu attack OSA-P," Rei sighed as she turned around to check on Usagi's progress again. "If what Sango-san said was right, then Karasu sent Viluy there specifically for her and Miroku. Why them? There's nothing at OSA-P. It's just a jewelry store. Was she just after some more Hoste for herself or what?"  
Usagi set down her butter knife and pressed the two sides of her loaf of bread together, closing the butter inside. "Naru-chan's Mom has been attacked before, but that was a long time ago now," she said, shrugging and looking puzzled. "That was back when I first became Sailor Moon."

The others shook their heads, but Kagome glanced around, confused. "Naru-chan?"  
"Oh! One of my friends from school," Usagi told her quickly, waving her hand in dismissal and grinning. "Her Mom got attacked a long time ago. She's got this really nice store over in the shopping district, and she has these really nice sales every couple weeks. But there's really nothing about the store that'd make it a target. Sango and Miroku were looking for where Karasu hid out, right? Maybe it's nearby OSA-P."

"Attacking to distract them?" Minako asked, brushing the papery leaves of the garlic aside and accepting a butter knife from Makoto so she could cut them more finely. "That would be a distraction, but she didn't send out a youkai along with the kugutsu." Minako leaned back a bit to see around Rei, focusing on Kagome with a wry grin. "How hard is it to kill a kugutsu? I was kind of unconscious last time we fought with one."

Kagome thought about that, considering their past battles with Naraku's puppets as she reached for another plump tomato, coring the top and carefully avoiding the sharp edge of the knife. "That depends. You have to strike its weak point," she demonstrated, popping out the core of the tomato onto the cutting board, "and it dies quickly. But if you hit it just anywhere, it'll make things worse." She turned the tomato upside down and sliced it in half, the two sides rocking as they fell apart. "Something's just not right about it," she finished, a frown growing on her face as she readied one of the halves for quartering. "There wasn't a youkai with her, and she was looking for Sango-chan and Miroku-sama specifically...before...before..." she trailed, and Makoto offered her,  
"Eudial."

Nodding, Kagome continued, "Before the Eudial kugutsu came with two youkai with her, and just started randomly attacking the street. If Karasu's watching us somehow, then wouldn't she be better prepared than that? They were alone, with lots of people around. It's like..." Kagome's frown was deepening as she looked at the neatly separated quarters in front of her. Viluy's not having anything with her suggested haste, as though it was something thrown together at the last moment. But they were being watched, weren't they? Shouldn't she be prepared by now? "Like she was just attacking them to..." Kagome shook her head, trying to clear it. If they were distractions, what were they being distracted from? If they were looking for a hideout or signature of an evil aura, the logical conclusion would be that they were nearby its location. But if the attack was set up quickly, then she hadn't anticipated it.

Something just didn't fit right. Sighing, she set down her knife and leaned back in her chair, looking at the expectant faces around her. "If the attack was just set up to distract Sango-chan and Miroku-sama from finding her, why let them know they were close? If the jewelry store isn't anything special, and if it's in the middle of the shopping district, why there? Wouldn't it make more sense if she tried to lead them off? Without revealing herself?"

Makoto turned the heat down on the stove top thoughtfully, setting down her spatula and turning to take the garlic from Minako. "If this attack was just a distraction, where better than a shopping center with lots of people? Makes sense to me...."

"Me too," Rei added, pausing in her cheese grating to turn halfway around, leaning against the counter with her hip. "So then we need to ask Haruka or Michiru where they were when they found out Sango and Miroku were being attacked. I'll bet they were heading closer to wherever we're looking for is, if Kagome's right and she was trying to lead us off base."

"Michiru-san is talking to Mamoru now," Sango chimed in as she entered the kitchen from the dining room. She'd changed her clothing, Shippou having modestly pointed out that her skirt had torn somewhere over the course of the last battle, running up one of the seams. Setsuna had purchased two outfits for her if needed, and since Sango didn't want to walk around with a slit up her dress, she'd changed, now in a light pink knit top and black skirt to match. "Why do we need to ask her where she was when we were attacked?"

"We think she and Haruka-san were closer to Karasu's hideaway than you and Miroku-sama were," Kagome told her, picking up her knife again and starting work on her cutting. "If she's talking, how's she doing?"

"Better. At least enough to kick Haruka-san out of the room for hovering and being a nuisance. She headed down here a couple minutes ago, looking kind of grumpy."  
Makoto chuckled, heading towards the kettle of boiling water and lifting the lid, releasing clouds of warm steam, which rolled their way around her face and up towards the kitchen's ceiling fan. "She's going to go vent on someone...hope they don't mind getting pounded on while she practices."

Kagome groaned, guessing where that would probably lead, standing and guessing who would volunteer to a sparring match with one of the senshi. Given the opportunity, Inuyasha would take up just about any challenge offered. "I'd better go make sure Inuyasha doesn't kill her...."

That earned her several snorts and giggles, while Usagi tugged on her sleeve, gently telling her to sit back down. "She'll be okay. Don't worry about Haruka-san. If it's just practice, I'm sure she'll take it easy on Inuyasha."

Sango and Kagome exchanged glances. _Haruka_ take it easy on _Inuyasha?_ That would be interesting to see. There weren't many people who could take him on and come out of it unscathed. None of the senshi seemed to think Haruka wouldn't be able to fight Inuyasha and live to tell the tale.

"Go watch your boyfriend," Minako winked at Kagome, teasing as the other girl began to splutter, turning red. "Oh, come on, Kagome, I may be the goddess of love, but we're all girls. We're not blind. I'm done with this stuff, so I can cut the last couple tomatoes for you."

"Just as long as you don't try to put curry in anything," Rei remarked dryly as Minako pushed the chopped garlic towards Makoto. Testing the pile of shredded cheese around the grater, Rei glanced towards Kagome. "We've got things under control here."  
"This shouldn't take too long to finish up. Go make sure he doesn't crack his head on anything," Makoto urged, waving a hand and shoo-ing both Kagome and Sango out of 'her' kitchen, then reaching for the boxes of dried thin spaghetti to dump into the boiling water.

"Inuyasha's head is too thick to crack," Kagome muttered, still flushed, as she and Sango were pushed out into the living room. Shippou sat on the edge reclining chair, the remote control in his hands, having mastered it under Artemis' instructions. The white tomcat was sitting on the chair's arm, his tail hanging off his seat as he instructed Shippou to change the channel again, the two of them surfing for news. Kirara lifted her head from where she was curled up beside Kami, the young woman glancing upward as they entered the room.

"Your skirt will be done in a little while, taiji-ya-san," she said, gesturing at the plaid fabric in her lap. A sewing basket sat beside her, open, and a needle rested in her hands, threaded in black. "It split up the seam, so it's easy to repair. Are you two looking for Inuyasha-kun and the houshi-sama?"

Kagome nodded, glancing around and out the sliding glass door behind Kami. "Makoto said that Haruka was going to...practice...on someone, and I don't think having Inuyasha practice back is a good...what's so funny?"

The she was laughing lightly, sticking her needle through the fabric of the skirt and covering her mouth politely as she chuckled, trying to suppress her laughter. The comment perked up Shippou and Artemis as well, Artemis swiveling around and Shippou standing, putting the television on mute for a second as he peered out from behind the chair's back. "Haruka said that nobody wanted to spar with her because she would beat them up," Shippou informed them, looking exasperated. "So of course Inuyasha had to go and show off. At least with everyone here, we can patch her up if she gets hurt. Seems like everyone's getting beaten up today."

Artemis glanced at the kitsune, shaking his head seriously. "I doubt with the mood Haruka was in she'd let Inuyasha hurt her. My bet's on Haruka."

"Nobody can beat people up better than Inuyasha," Shippou argued back, dropping back onto the seat and folding his arms stoutly. "Believe me, he's whacked me more than enough times."

"Then why aren't you watching him, Shippou-chan?" Kagome asked, stepping closer and looming over the back of the chair. "Not interested?"

"No, I'm using the remote thing," he replied, picking up the narrow black box with buttons and waving it around. "Artemis and I are looking for something about the jewelry store from this afternoon, since everyone else is busy doing something. Miroku and that Chibiusa girl are out there watching them pound on each other," he sighed as he turned back to the television. "'sides, I watch Inuyasha beat people up all the time."

Artemis shrugged and told him to unmute the tv so they could listen for more reports.

"They're out back," Kami told Kagome, pointing behind her and then taking up her needle again, pinching the two sides of cloth together as she slid the point through, stitching it together finely. "I'm sure they're enjoying themselves...."

There was suddenly a thumping noise from outside, something crashing into the wall and causing everyone to look up and turn, as Kagome and Sango hurried out towards the french doors, pulling them open and rushing outside to see what went wrong.

Much to their surprise, they got there in time to watch Inuyasha upright himself from the house's back wall, grimacing and wiping some dirt from off his chin with the back of his fist, snorting,

"Feh. I was just taking it easy on you because you're a woman."

Haruka folded her arms and leaned to the side, arching her eyebrows and smirking slightly as she shot back: "And I was just taking it easy on you because you're a guy. What the hell does my being female have to do with anything?"

From where she was standing openmouthed, Kagome watched Inuyasha begin to grin, a feral appearance taking over his face as he anticipated a good fight ahead of him, this time without anyone around him in life threatening danger. He tensed his hands, and they cracked audibly in the quiet as he stepped forward again, heading back towards the impatient Tenoh Haruka, who unfolded her arms and prepared for another round.  
"She really can defend herself," Sango murmured in amazement as she and Kagome slowly stepped forward, taking places on the patio next to the picnic table, shade and coolness provided by an oversized umbrella.

"Uranus is our best melee fighter," Diana announced cheerily, turning around from where she was perched on top of Chibiusa's head. The pink haired girl was sitting on top of the table, feet on the bench, elbows on her knees, chin in her hands, thoughtfully watching Inuyasha and Haruka begin to spar again. "She's faster than your friend."

"But Inuyasha is stronger," Miroku commented idly to the kitten, leaning against the side of the table and then turning to greet Sango and Kagome, who were still a bit wide eyed. "That was not the first blow exchanged, though they have just started."

"Haruka-san's better trained than Inuyasha," Chibiusa told them, glancing at the two girls, then back to the yard again. It was well cared for, a private fence extending outward over a large, freshly mown lawn. The scent of newly cut grass still hovered in the air sweetly, mingling with the rich, perfumed scents of the flower garden along the outer wall of the house. Maple trees spread wide leaves in the sunlight, shading the backyard from too much sunshine. Inuyasha was out of his daily disguise, his hair white and clothing once again the usual red kimono. Haruka had removed her shoes and light jacket to better move, but otherwise remained in the khakis she had been wearing during the day. "He's strong, but he's clumsy. He just tries to pummel her."

Kagome sighed. Well, that sounded like Inuyasha. Charge now, think later.

The two were facing off again, Haruka in a basic stance, hands up defensively and weight on her front leg, ready to bring up the other once Inuyasha made his move, either to kick or to rush forward, bringing up her speed. Inuyasha stood passively for a moment, this time trying to analyze his opponent and ignore the audience that was showing up. So far Kagome had only been surprised that he had been thrown, and of course he couldn't look that bad again. This time, he needed to be a bit more cautious in his approach.

She was angry, and blowing off steam due to Michiru's earlier injury. Inuyasha did not consider himself a punching bag. Haruka's eyes were hard, narrowed as she criticized him as he returned the gaze. She was slower, he assumed, when untransformed, which made him look worse, letting her get ahold of him in a weaker state. At the same time, if he hit her as hard as he could, untransformed, there was no guarantee he wouldn't actually hurt her. They didn't need yet another person knocked out.

Then, on some unknown signal, they moved, both at once, flying forward. He came in fast with a punch towards her head, but she saw it, intercepting and blocking the blow before it landed. While he was still lunging forward, she turned in toward him, bringing her elbow around and stepping in to slam it into his plexus from the side, only to have him twist aside, her legs knocked out from beneath her. Haruka landed and rolled, Inuyasha's fist impacting on the ground as she vanished from underneath, up on her feet as he recovered from the miss.

Inuyasha grinned, beginning to enjoy himself. She was fast. The only thing was, with the amassing audience, he wanted to make sure to prove that he was better than some girl, senshi though she may be. Considering Haruka was currently weaker than her usual fighting level, it wouldn't prove much of anything beating on a mere human.

"Oy! I just realized- it's not fair for me to beat you up if you're not as strong as you could be!"

"What are you suggesting?" Haruka called back in reply, lifting her fists again. "I'm still taking it easy on you, hanyou!"

"Feh! I can't stop taking it easy on you unless you're in that weird outfit thing you senshi all wear. You want a real fight, I'll give you one."

Haruka considered this a moment, a smirk slowly forming on her face. She hadn't had this good a workout for awhile, not since Makoto had last come around for a match. Jupiter was working hard, improving rapidly, though Haruka still considered herself better. Fighting Inuyasha was far different from sparring with another senshi though; usually their strengths and fighting styles were similar, being of relatively like build and strength. With Inuyasha, everything changed, which was good. In a real fight, she wouldn't always be up against someone of her own general weight and style. So he wanted to fight Sailor Uranus, did he? The smirk on her face spread into grin, and Inuyasha recognized it as a yes.

"Uranus Crystal Power! Make-up!"

From the sidelines, Kagome, Sango and Miroku shielded their eyes as Haruka lifted her hand to the air, golden light forming a globe around her body and washing it out with brilliance, a fine shadow of her silhouette barely visible inside, slowly becoming more solid as the light faded away, revealing Sailor Uranus in place of Tenoh Haruka.

Glitter floated around her for a moment longer, tiny stars fading away as she reached up a hand, the elegant hilt of her Space Sword filling her palm as she tested its balance, arching an eyebrow at Inuyasha. "Your main attack is that katana of yours, isn't it?"  
He got her suggestion, reaching for Tetsusaiga and drawing it as it transformed. As the light of her henshin surrounded her, the brightness of her aura expanded, and it was easy for him to sense it, shifting and swirling on the faint wind that stirred the trees. With their weapons, he had a distinct advantage, Tetsusaiga being considerably larger and longer than the Space Sword.

"Just don't blow up my backyard, hanyou. Michiru'd have my head on a platter."  
Inuyasha snorted as he readied his weapon, the size of it forcing him to hold it forward, unlike Uranus who kept the Space Sword to her side.

"They're going to use their weapons," Chibiusa commentated as she watched Uranus reach up, drawing her sword from subspace. "Inuyasha doesn't stand a chance now."

Miroku shook his head. "I hardly think so. He has a much greater reach than Uranus with Tetsusaiga. You shouldn't just assume she'll win because she's a senshi. Inuyasha is a hanyou. So far they've been matched."

"Uranus is even faster than Haruka. And you're doing the same thing, assuming Inuyasha will win," Diana scolded, waving a paw. "I agree with Small Lady."

Miroku shrugged, glancing at Kagome and Sango. Kagome was biting her lip, a hand resting on her chin in worry. She was half stepping forward, as though to run out in the middle of it and stop them. They may be having fun, but both with their swords out, armed and powered up, meant that there was a certain degree of danger involved.

Beside her, Sango stood with her arms crossed, observing the two opponents critically. Both houshi-sama and Diana had points. Inuyasha was fast, had greater reach, and was very likely stronger as well. However, Uranus was far from being weak, was probably faster in this form, and definitely had more maneuverability than Inuyasha did with the unwieldy blade of Tetsusaiga. All she needed to do was get inside Tetsusaiga's reach, and Inuyasha would be wide open. If she could get inside. The match would be decided in a second.

They were still again, facing each other warily, watching for one or the other to move, signaling their time to begin. Any remarks about being male or female faded away as they concentrated, trying to decide where the other would strike first.

Then Uranus moved, taking two flying steps forward as Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga to strike back. It was a feint. She dodged the swipe by leaping upward, using the massive blade itself to propel her into the air, stepping on it like a ladder. Growling, Inuyasha recovered, watching her as she began to drop back down, sword over her head for a blow downward. With height on him, it would be easy for her to land a hit. He jumped, Tetsusaiga up, following her and meeting her halfway through her fall.

The movements were too fast for any of their audience to make out, Chibiusa leaping to her feet and standing on the bench, hands clasped, while Kagome started forward, Sango grabbing her arm to prevent her from running into the middle of the match, if it was still incomplete. When they hit ground, they landed amid a shower of dirt and grass, clumps thrown in several directions, raining down on their heads and surrounding Inuyasha and Sailor Uranus in dust.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried, trying to shake off Sango. "Inu-"

"Oy! Kagome-chan, he's fine," came a low feminine voice, half coughing, half laughing. Uranus began to emerge out of the swirls of dust they'd kicked up on landing, bent over. Behind her, they saw Inuyasha on the ground, rubbing his head, a detransformed, decrepit Tetsusaiga sticking out of the ground beside him. "He just needs to work on his landings," she chuckled, shaking her head as Kagome ran out into the yard, eyes flickering worriedly over Inuyasha as she knelt down beside him,while he folded up his legs and glared at Uranus' back.

"Inuyasha...are you alright?"

"Heh," the glare vanished into a satisfied smirk, "I'm fine. Ask her."

"Huh?" Kagome managed, turning around to see Uranus standing beside them, a hand over her side, half doubled over. "Haruka-san? What...."

Sailor Uranus reached out a gloved hand, offering it to Inuyasha. He accepted it, pulling himself up as Kagome looked between the two, somewhat bewildered. Then she noticed that the fabric of Uranus' fuku was torn under where she gripped her side, bits of cloth falling around her fingers. "Inuyasha..." Kagome began, then turned on him, face reddening with anger. "Inuyasha! I can't believe you tried to kill her! You can't just go around and try to hurt people, even if it's just practice! It's dangerous!"

"What the hell are you talking about? She was about to kill me! I can't just-"

"Hey, both of you, calm down," Uranus laughed, waving a hand between them. She lifted her hand from her side to reveal five thin, even lines across her side. "I'm barely even bleeding. He just tore the fabric, that's all. Besides, where's the fun if you're not about to get killed by an infuriated demon?" Uranus winked at Kagome, offering her a hand and helping her up as well. "With such a pretty nurse to come running to his side, I'm sure I could bang him around worse next time for you."

Kagome blinked, turned an interesting shade of pink, and pulled her hand out of Uranus' grip. Inuyasha began to glare at Uranus again, despite the fact she was looking a bit more cheerful than before. "Oy..." he began warningly, stepping closer to Kagome and putting a possessive hand on her shoulder. But before the conversation could go any further, they heard Minako's voice shouting from the house, her head poking out between the french doors.

"Everyone! Dinner's ready! Come and be it!" Minako paused, turning around as someone whispered something to her from behind. She began to laugh nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Whoops! I mean, come and get it!" She tried again, waving then disappearing back inside.

"Kagome-chan," Sango called as Chibiusa, Diana and Miroku turned to follow Minako back in, "you ready?"

"In a second," she called back, looking at the small crater Inuyasha and Haruka had formed from their landing. Well, the yard wasn't blown up...just...damaged.

"Inuyasha...the spaghetti Makoto was cooking is a lot like ramen noodles."

That, of course, inspired Inuyasha to end his glaring match with the indifferent Sailor Uranus. "Feh. Then let's go eat. I'm starving."

Kagome was glad to have avoided another sparring match.

* * *

The living room swirled with the savory scents of tomato and garlic, warmed from the steam of the pasta. As everyone milled inside, the hum of the air conditioner could be heard over the quiet murmurings of the television, kept low, and of the senshi, each chatting away. Makoto pressed plates of spaghetti into Kagome and Inuyasha's hands, accompanied by a napkin and a fork, causing Inuyasha to stare at the utensil, trying to figure out what it was.

Haruka had returned to her usual state, and was tossing her shoes down and kicking them under the couch out of everyone's way as Rei handed her some food as well.

"Arigatou," Haruka said, reaching for the other plate in Rei's hands. "I'll take the other one up to Michiru. She'll be hungry by now."

"Don't bother," another voice interrupted, as Mamoru emerged into the room, Ami a step behind him with Luna draped over her shoulder. "She needs her rest, and was about out before Ami and I left to check on Setsuna. She's probably asleep by now."

Haruka paused, frowning as she took the second plate from Rei anyway, shrugging. "I'll go sit with her. If she wakes up hungry...." she trailed, hefting one of the plates slightly for emphasis as she pushed past Rei, heading for the hallway. "I'll be upstairs."  
"Wait! Haruka-san," Rei called, grabbing the back of her shirt for a moment to get the older girl's attention. "We were going to ask you. Where were you and Michiru-san before Sango and Miroku were attacked this afternoon?"

"Why?"

"Kagome thought that maybe Karasu was trying to use the attack at OSA-P as a distraction," Minako cut in, half turning around from her seat on the couch and waving her fork as she spoke, Sango, beside her, trying to avoid flying drops of sauce. "If that's true, then you two were closer. What were you by?"

Haruka blinked, frowning as she retraced her steps earlier in the day. She and Michiru had walked that street a hundred times, shopping for various things over the course of time. It was close to their old apartments, those chosen since they were nice and new, close to the target they had chosen to infiltrate when the Death Busters had first attacked.

"Mugen Academy."

There was silence for a moment, and then, very quietly, "That should have been the first place we looked." Eyes switched to Luna, who had her eyes downcast from her perch on Ami's shoulder. "Once hearing she was claiming to be a Death Buster herself, we should have checked out the old site. It's not much now...Usagi-chan, you left the building destroyed, didn't you?"

Usagi set aside the lemonade she'd been drinking, ice clinking against the sides of the glass as she remembered. After a moment, she looked up, blue eyes wide as she regarded Luna. "After the battle, I restored what I could. Everything around it. But Mugen itself...that place shouldn't have been reborn. I left it the way it was."

"Last I checked," Artemis began, leaping off the recliner and padding his way across the carpet, "Mugen was still a wreck. I think the city wanted to tear down the ruins there and make it a parking lot or some kind of city park. That place should be left alone."

"Why?" Usagi replied, looking down at the white cat, clasping her hands together and beaming with the idea, "Wouldn't it be better if something good came out of the area? I think turning it into a park would be a great! There's a lot of businesses around there, and people's kids could come play."

"Usagi-sama?" Miroku interrupted, coughing lightly and holding up a hand to get attention. "Mugen was the school place that was the home of these Death Busters, correct?" that earned him several nods of agreement, and he continued, "Then how could it be...reborn?"

A small smile formed on Usagi's face, and she held up her hands, one on either side of the brooch that held together her bow. Lightly, she brushed her fingertips across the pin's surface, and a faint silver glow touched the metallic surface, reflecting a pale light around her. "My Silver Crystal has the power to cleanse. Saturn told me, 'Always with the end, comes hope and rebirth,' and that I could bring that." Her smile broadened gently as her hands dropped to her sides again, the shimmer fading away, though leaving a warmth in the air around them, a gentle feeling of safety. "I used everyone's power to return things to the way they were before. Mugen though...Mugen was so dark. That was where Pharaoh 90 invaded. I didn't want to rebuild that place- it's better becoming something else."

From where she stood beside Inuyasha, Kagome slowly rested a hand over her chest, feeling the uneven lump of the Shikon no Tama under her shirt. Power to cleanse. The power to cleanse. One that purified, one that needed to be purified. One that banished evil, one that could strengthen it. How similar and yet how different the two jewels could be.

"Then we'd better go there tonight," Sango was saying, breaking Kagome from her reverie. "Check it out and make sure Karasu hasn't rooted herself in there. We can finish this now. Tonight." Looking around the room, Sango saw the varied expressions on the senshi's faces, all either tense, worried, or denying. "Is that not a good idea?"

"No...no, it's a fine idea," Ami began awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot anxiously as she lifted her hand to her lips in a thoughtful gesture. "But...well...."

"But well what?" Inuyasha prompted, frowning at the blue haired girl as she tried to explain. "We'll all go over and take her out now."

"I'm staying here," Haruka announced, stepping forward and angling herself in front of the hall. "I'm not leaving Michiru up there by herself injured."

"Feh. Fine. Stay. There's still more than enough of us to..." he trailed off as he noticed the senshi all beginning to shake their heads no. "What?"

Usagi stepped a little closer to Inuyasha and Kagome, glancing between the two of them quietly for a moment, then sighing as she looked between them, eyes wide in the dimming sunlight that filtered through the drapes over the window behind them. "We've been fighting weakened, without Pluto. Neptune will be up soon if Hotaru-chan healed her, but she's out for tonight, like Hotaru-chan. We fight best together. Our strength is together. All of us, working as one."

There was an expression on Usagi's features, slightly different from the usual cheerful one. Her face was still the same, but there was a sadness there, touching the corners of her eyes and mouth, formed from the experience of fighting the enemies she had. Some residual light from her brooch seemed to still hover about her, and Inuyasha found his protests die for a moment as he looked away.

"Then tomorrow. We go tomorrow." Kagome managed, looking at Usagi, who smiled.

"If Michiru's up, we can check it out in the morning," Haruka offered, shrugging. "Do some reconnaissance, so we know what we're getting into." She glanced towards Sango and Miroku, seated on the couch. "You two up to some more driving?"

Sango looked a little green, while Miroku nodded mutely. More driving with Haruka. Fun.

"Then see you in the morning. I'm heading up," Haruka said, then winked at Kagome.

"Oy. If you want to take me up on my offer, I'll bang him around some more for you."

"Eh..." Kagome began, only to stop when Inuyasha shouted at the departing senshi, who was chuckling to herself as she disappeared upstairs. "Inuyasha...calm down."

"Bitch...."

"Don't make me say it when you have your hands full of food," Kagome warned, earning her a death glare from Inuyasha. Getting bodyslammed into a plate of spaghetti didn't sound all that fun.

"Hey! We're on! Look!" Shippou suddenly shouted, hitting buttons on the remote control and raising the volume for everyone to hear. The announcement brought shuffling of bodies, the last plates being passed out and Makoto running back into the kitchen for a final time, this time reappearing with a tray of ice water, lemonade and Pepsi, all passed around as people took various spots on the floor, or found somewhere comfortable to stand.

The widescreen tv was full of shots, moving and panning across downtown Juuban as a female anchor did a voice over to the images. "...no footage was taken at the time of the attack, but there were many witnesses at what began as a typical robbery. OSA-P, one of Juuban's finest stores, was attacked this afternoon by woman identifying herself as Villain."

Miroku shook his head, arching his eyebrows. "Are all of these reports somewhat inaccurate, Mamoru-san?"

Mamoru was shaking his head, looking slightly amused as he folded his legs under him, sitting beside Usagi, who had plopped herself on the floor. Chibiusa was curling up on his other side, passing alone one of the cans.

The news anchor was replaced with a middle aged man, holding a microphone and standing beside Osaka Natsumi, who was smiling nervously and trying very hard not to fiddle with her hair as the camera focused on her.

"It's Naru-chan's Mom!" Usagi squealed excitedly, digging into her spaghetti with usual gusto, forking the noodles into her mouth as she rambled, "They're going to interview her!"

Rei shushed her from behind, leaning against the back of the reclining chair, listening as the field reporter turned to speak.

"Osaka-san. You're the owner of OSA-P, and were there during the robbery. Can you tell us what you witnessed?"

"Of course," she began, taking a deep breath and calming herself for a moment, then turning to look into the camera. "I'm not really sure about everything. She came into the store...it was very strange...she didn't seem very human...like some crazy witch more than a robber. But she started calling out to two of my customers. I didn't catch their names, but they were this lovely young couple who just got engaged to be-"

She got about that far before the entire room erupted in sound. Kagome began to choke on her spaghetti, while Makoto groaned, shaking her head. Ami was smiling and nodding politely, while Kami looked bewildered, wedged into the corner of the couch with her sewing basket. Minako and Usagi had leapt to their feet in front of Sango and Miroku, the two sitting on the couch blinking confusedly at the two blondes babbling happily in front of them.

"Oh wow! Congratulations!"

"I can't believe it!"

"That's so great!"

"I wish I were!"

"When did you two decide that? Yesterday? When are you two going to have the ceremony? Sango, what are you going to wear?"

Kagome finally managed to finish choking, while Inuyasha stared at her. "Kagome?"  
"I'm fine, Inuyasha," she coughed, pounding on her chest a little and giving him a weak smile before heading towards Usagi and Minako. "Um, Usagi, Minako...I don't think...they know what you're talking about...."

"Kagome-chan?" Sango asked, looking a little worried as she glanced between her friend and the two starry eyed senshi, now blissfully rambling at Miroku, the houshi trying to fend them off as they began jumping up and down. Kirara wisely hopped off the couch to get away from it all. "Kagome-chan...engaged to...what?"

"Um, Sango-chan...Miroku-sama...were you two looking at diamond rings at the jewelry store? Clear stones? They look expensive?"

Mutely, Sango and Miroku nodded, momentarily ignoring Minako and Usagi.

"In this era..." Kagome told them, taking a deep breath, "...you give a diamond ring to someone you plan on getting married to. She meant engaged to be married."

There was a long moment.

Sango went very red.

Miroku went very white.

"Oh," they said.

"So when are you going to have the cere-" Usagi was continuing, before being interrupted by Rei.

"Usagi you dummy! We're missing the intereview! Leave them alone! Can't you see they didn't know what they were doing?"

Usagi and Minako both blinked, looking between Rei and the embarrassed pair on the couch. "Whoops?"

"...whatever it was destroyed my security system," Osaka-san was sighing, and a shot of the damaged wall was shown, chewn through and showing burned out, exposed wires. "My surveillance systems are fried. The police said they're going to try to restore it, but it was pretty badly charred when it blew. I'll need a whole new one. Good thing I have insurance."

"Did anything else happen in your store?"

"Well, the young couple fought her outside, thankfully not destroying my store. We've been having a big sale this week, so there were others inside with me, and all the jewelry. Discounts are wonderful for young people starting out, they really don't have much money, but we try to help as much as we can here. I'm just glad everyone was all right...replacing the doors won't be too bad, it's the security...." she sighed, waving a hand and the reporter turned back to the camera, looking serious.

"That was the owner of the attacked store. Now back to the studio."

Around a table, three anchors sat, a woman shuffling a sheaf of papers and then facing the camera again. "Further reports were able to determine that as the thief was forced from the store, the young couple allegedly fought her. Eyewitness accounts also place a strange zoo animal on the scene, appearing out of nowhere, though no zoos have reported any large felines missing. The descriptions of the animal are similar to those given earlier in the week, when another local business was under some kind of attack."

Kirara purred contentedly from where she sat beside Chibiusa and Diana.

"However," the woman continued, "all witnesses place two of the rumored Sailor Senshi on the scene at the time of the robbery, fighting with the alleged robber on the street. Witnesses are not able to come to agreement on what happened to the thief after the arrival of the senshi, though during the course of the fight, one of the senshi was reported to be injured by several onlookers. If she was hurt, our hopes and well wishes go with her for a full and speedy recovery."

Rei reached over Shippou's shoulder and turned off the tv as the anchorwoman turned to the others with her, all speculating as to the current events, and how they could be connected.

"They'll get it wrong. You can't explain magic away with logic," she sighed, setting her empty plate on the endtable and folding her arms. "Magic defies logic. That's it's nature."

"Well, at least it's better than everyone running around scared all the time," Shippou told her, looking straight up at the senshi hovering over him. "In our time, most people would run away."

"What, like you do?" Inuyasha snorted, earning him a dirty look from Kagome, and a quickly cut off whine from Shippou when Kami gave him an odd look.

"If people in our time had any sense they would," Rei shot at Inuyasha with a frown, interrupting the argument before it started. "Leave it to people who can fight back. But it's nice to know they're pulling for us."

"Even if they don't have a clue," Makoto sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Tomorrow. We'll have to finish this tomorrow."

Quiet exchanges were sent around the room, agreeing. Tomorrow, they would finish this.

* * *

From this point on, this fic will be considerably more serious. I hope you enjoyed the humor thus far. I wanted to pit Inuyasha against Haruka at some point...it was too funny to miss out on. When I wrote that scene, I think I'd been watching _Rurouni Kenshin_ for too long again.  
In the _Sailormoon _manga, Usagi goes into princess form at the end of the S arc and basically fixes everything that was destroyed in the battle with Mistress 9 and Pharaoh 90. Mugen looked like it was still a wreck at the end, but looking through the manga, it seemed like it was only that. In the anime, the whole area was blown apart- basically it was left as a crater.

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 20: Calm-

"Not the same person. But looks the same. Sounds the same. Maybe even acts the same. The same person you took that picture with, but not. If you loved him, it would be hard not to miss him, wouldn't it?" Kagome closed her eyes, trying to avoid the steady gleam of the lamp. If someone was in love, it was hard to forget. Hard to move on. If moving on was easy, then how strong could you have felt in the first place? And of what worth would those same weak feelings be later?


	21. Calm

Of This World And Yesterday

_"Imagine the island of blue in the middle of a tropical storm, an eye of peace._  
_You must admit the hurricane is there._  
_To do otherwise is self-deception, which in nature is fatal, or worse, hypocritical._  
_Even honest, decent, generous folk must fight to survive when the driving winds blow._  
_And yet, such folk will also do whatever they can, whenever they can, to expand the blue._  
_To increase that gentle, centered realm where patience prevails_  
_and no law is made by tooth or claw."_  
_-Earth, David Brin_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 20- Calm

Softly, Kagome climbed the steps, padding her way upstairs as faint murmurings rose their way from the floor below, the sounds of Sango, Kami and Shippou readying the couch in the living room for its nightly occupant. Her hand rested lightly on the railing, sliding upward into the darkness of the hall above.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow they would investigate Mugen Academy, tomorrow they would investigate the remains of the institute that Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru had gone to not so long ago. They once called it the magicians school, for the talented in their fields; art, music, language, sports, academics. There was a trepidation warming Kagome, a nervousness about going to the place. What would such a ruin look like? If Karasu had not entrenched herself there, then...where? If it was a ruin, where could she be hiding? Perhaps not the building itself, but somewhere nearby. Somewhere to watch and listen, to spy. Kagome didn't like waiting right now; it felt wrong, as though giving her time. Maybe it would lull her into a false sense of security, thinking she had succeeded in leading them away earlier. Though she had the sinking feeling waiting was going to be a hindrance rather than a help. At the same time, they would need all the assistance they could get, and without the Outers, the senshi team was weakened. Karasu had kept herself a step ahead of them, and Kagome wondered if she was going to take the chance to make her move. So far, it felt like she had been testing or gauging. Lethal enough, but something Karasu said still bothered her from the day they met.

_"...you're fairly irrelevant really, in the grand scheme of things...."_

She said she'd take the Shikon no Tama then. There was a carelessness about her words, as though it was an opportunity not to be missed, but hardly her main objective. If not, then what was?

Kagome alighted the steps, peering into the darkness and making out the shapes of the doors upstairs. Light fell faintly across the hallway, shining from a nightlight in the upstairs bathroom, marking its location for late night wanderers. Three of the doors were closed, evidence of various rooms. Kami said that she put away the sleeping bag Kagome used the previous night, back in the closet of Hotaru's room. Having left her own in the feudal era, Kagome was borrowing.

It had taken better than a half hour to get everyone out of the house that evening, settling down into an uneasy wait for morning. Inuyasha had argued about leaving, of course. Eventually, his reasoning won out, temperamental and stubborn as it was. He claimed that if they were procrastinating on going to Mugen because of the senshi's injuries, then it wasn't safe for Kagome to be at the Outers home without them at full strength. There was no arguing with him this time, and an osuwari just didn't seem like a good bargaining chip. Now, above her, she could hear him pacing on the roof, and she wondered if he ever slept. His presence was reassuring, though she still worried. Even Inuyasha could get tired sometimes. He would sit up there and watch all night, Tetsusaiga against his shoulder, warily eyeing the street.

Kagome sighed, closing her eyes and opening them again, letting them adjust to the dimness. There would be no attack on the house. Of that, she felt oddly sure. If Karasu had considered the bomb a necessary- though cowardly- act, she doubted it would happen again. Charging the house with kugutsu seemed ludicrous for some reason, comical. Something else was stirring this time, and it wasn't just another random test or distraction.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow.

Which door was Hotaru's again?

Kagome pressed her ear to the door, hearing only silence on the other side. Very carefully, she turned the knob, planning to creep inside and open the closet, grab the sleeping bag and creep back out without waking up Hotaru. According to the other senshi, she wasn't as delicate now as she used to be, though using her gift of healing could be draining. Best to let her sleep.

Watercolored light played across the floor, the splashes of color that flowed from dozens of small lamps, their glass hurricanes spreading cool tones through the room. The dim light was soft, unfocused, catching on picture frames and mirrors, letting them reflect the light again. Books lined clean swept shelves on the walls, and posters of elegant old paintings had been framed, an image of Ophelia weaving flowers into her hair hanging over her desk, faint brightness touching the lavender in her gown. Moonlight pressed in against a curtained window. In the room's center, Hotaru sat on her bed, legs hanging off the side and blankets turned over, around her like a warm nest. White socks were visible from under the draping bedspread, not quite touching the ground. Her face was downcast, looking at something she held in her lap.

"Oh," Kagome said, keeping her voice low. "You're awake."

Her head moved slightly in acknowledgment, then she slowly glanced over at Kagome with dark purple eyes, watching as she slipped her way inside.  
"Just getting the sleeping bag," Kagome whispered, quickly and quietly heading towards the closet, sliding it open and reaching down for the dark blue bedroll. "Arigatou, for letting me borrow it."

"Mm."

The younger girl kept her head bowed, sitting on the edge of her bed in silence. Standing where she was, Kagome saw what Hotaru held. A picture frame, its gilded edges gleaming in the lamplight, her thin hands running over the image's surface. She seemed very frail suddenly, small, porcelain, white skin contrasting to the dark around her, the pale light setting her face into a swirl of shadow.

"Hotaru-chan?" Kagome began, slightly uncertainly. She'd only known the senshi a few days, and prying into their privacy seemed inappropriate. But the aura of delicacy that hovered around Hotaru felt wrong, as though the porcelain girl could break. Kagome moved slightly closer, looking between the laced fingers that rested on the portrait she held. "That's a lovely picture. Who is it?"

Slowly, Hotaru stirred, her hands sliding aside and revealing three people in the image. A woman with black hair, a man with grey hair and glasses, and a young girl held up to the camera between them, all smiling, the excited child waving at the camera as the woman tried to calm her. She ran a finger across the surface, tapping it over the people as she said, "Mama. Papa. Me. A long time ago."

Kagome wasn't sure how to react. Part of her warned her away, to not press. Another part urged her to sit down, to see what was the matter and to try to help. She may not have known the senshi for long, but they were friends. Events of the last few days seemed to be proving that well enough. It was Hotaru who decided for her, quietly continuing, "Mama died a long time ago. Papa a couple months ago. That's why I live with the others now." She glanced up at Kagome, purple eyes meeting blue ones. "Is there anything else, Kagome-san?"

"No..." she turned away, taking a half step toward the door and then pausing and turning back. "I don't have a Papa either."

A sardonic smile formed on Hotaru's lips, then faded as quickly as it came. "That's not right you know. Not a couple months ago. Papa died when Mama did." Her fingers tensed on the edges of the frame, silver glinting as the frame shifted on her lap, slender legs moving as she adjusted her position. "A long time ago."

Something Inuyasha told her surfaced, and she tried to remember when he relayed his discussions with Jupiter and Dreamweaver a couple days ago. Hotaru had been controlled by the creature Mistress 9, and her Father by another Death Buster, Germatoid. A long time ago? They had settled into this world for several years before making their move. To Hotaru, yes, that was a long time ago. "I'm sure you miss him," Kagome told her, standing a little closer and trying to get a better look at Hotaru's family. "Whether it was a long time ago or not."

"Miss? No...the Papa who raised me was nothing more than a shell," Hotaru said, voice sharp and slightly bitter. "After the accident, he wasn't Papa anymore."

Kagome watched her as she set her picture down on the bedstand, face down to hide the image it portrayed. Something hovered around her, a weighted sadness that showed when her fingers lingered a moment on the downturned frame, sliding slowly back to her lap.

"He saved you, didn't he?"

Hotaru looked up at the older girl again, meeting her even gaze. Kagome had wrapped her arms around the sleeping bag, lacing her fingers together as she held it still. The silence was a confirmation of her guess, and Kagome looked away, eyes straying to one of the glowing lamps.

"Not the same person. But looks the same. Sounds the same. Maybe even acts the same. The same person you took that picture with, but not. If you loved him, it would be hard not to miss him, wouldn't it?" Kagome closed her eyes, trying to avoid the steady gleam of the lamp. If someone was in love, it was hard to forget. Hard to move on. If moving on was easy, then how strong could you have felt in the first place? And of what worth would those same weak feelings be later?

"Maybe," Hotaru returned, watching the distant expression on Kagome's face, and understanding she spoke from some kind of personal experience. "He did what he thought would be best for me, bargaining for my life. In the end," she said quietly, drawing up on herself a bit, "he helped to turn me into Mistress 9. He tried to kill the Princess, Michiru-mama, Haruka-papa and Setsuna-mama. I turned into something I hated. I nearly killed Chibiusa-chan. I used the power of her Silver Crystal to destroy everything."

As Mistress 9? A body with a different soul. Another person, a distorted shell once called Hotaru. A distorted shell once her.

"Chibiusa forgave you. Usagi forgave you. Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna are part of your family now." Kagome returned her eyes to Hotaru, bending forward and leaning in a bit to catch her attention. "You are not Mistress 9. She's not inside your head any more. She doesn't control you. Maybe she is part of you somewhere. Part of who you are. But you are not her."

Hotaru brought up her eyes to meet Kagome's. The grey blue had deepened in the darkness, steady though reflecting the gleam of the lamps, the darkness of her lashes framing the wideness of her eyes.

After a moment, Kagome smiled.

Hotaru blinked as the other girl straightened up, stepping towards the door. The faint light of the hallway slanted through the door, somewhat ajar.

"You should get some rest, Hotaru-chan. School tomorrow. I've got some studying to do before I get some sleep. Fortunately it's literature, and we're just reading. A little relaxation would be good now. It's going to be a long day tomorrow, ne?"

Hotaru gave her a tiny nod, looking down at the stretch of her legs, falling over the side of her bed, blankets trailing alongside them. "Yes...good night, Kagome-san." Then, after a moment, she added, "Thank you."

Kagome grinned a bit, then slipped outside the door.

* * *

Youkai eyes are better for seeing in the dark than human ones, and though Shippou was still just a cub, he was more than capable of using his eyes. He'd waited till the house was still, waiting for the even breathing from the sofa and for the silence of Kagome in her sleeping bag, on which he sat. Then it took him several minutes to screw up enough courage to get up and head upstairs. Only Kirara had lifted her head, large red eyes blinking once then closing again at his departure. He couldn't help but be curious, after all. The only time he'd seen the senshi actually act as senshi was when the bomb had gone off in the wellhouse shrine, and they hadn't used any magic then, so far as he could tell. He had been slightly curious to Inuyasha and Uranus' fight earlier in the day, but that was his first opportunity to actually wield the magic television wand, and he wanted to take advantage of it. Besides, he thought Inuyasha would beat Uranus easily, particularly without being transformed. Had he known the magical girl would use her powers and could beat back, he might have been inspired to get off his tail. This could be his only opportunity to see one at work, at least without being in mortal danger, and therefore having other things to worry about. Like living. Kami had, after all, said she'd be working tonight. She'd never told him to leave before.

Not weighing much, he passed silently over the floorboards, pausing momentarily at Kami's door to see a very faint light emanating from the bottom, fading and then brightening again at his feet. All of the doors in the upstairs were closed, but he'd been in and out of all of them over the day, helping out with chores. He'd learned fairly quickly that climbing into the dryer was a bad idea, and not to touch some of the small bits of white clothing that she put in the laundry, because that was not for boys. A little bit of uncertainty crept in, and he wondered if maybe he'd just get in the way this time if he asked to help. Or watch. Or whatever. Despite the faint light, it was still inside the room, and he tried to make out the sound of breathing. Various sounds of silence played against his hearing, of machines humming through the house, or of wind pushing past the outside walls. Finally, he took a deep breath, leapt up for the knob on the door and turned it, swinging into the room a little and dropping back to the ground as he saw the motionless figure before him.

Dreamweaver stood transparent, her eyes closed and face slack, the source of light that flickered at her doorway coming from a luminescence on her skin, mingled with lit scented candles on her dresser, one lavender, one rose. Her hands were folded before her, balanced just before the grey bow on her collar, palms pressed together, fingertips matching within their white gloves.

Then her eyes opened narrowly, looking beyond him to watch her vacant reflection in an oval antique mirror, the surface of it empty of image. The usual delicacy of her features had faded, becoming glassy and hard, eyes sharp, focused, gleaming slightly in the reflected candlelight. In that moment, the nervousness left Shippou, and he remembered the frightening look Ukifune had worn the last time he saw her, back at her old mansion. Now, her eyes, open, were still lavender, still her. This was the power of a senshi, not just the attacks he'd heard them talk about lightly, the same way Inuyasha would refer to using the Kaze no Kizu, or Miroku the kazaana. Both of his usual companions referred to their abilities in conversation, and both seemed to be fairly ordinary- at least as far as Shippou was concerned- when not fighting. Though when they were, it could be frightening to be on the opposing end. That girl, Usagi. She'd shown them a tiny sliver of her power that evening, releasing a breath of brightness from the Silver Crystal she carried. That tiny slip of silvery energy had warmed the room, clearing the air and making his skin prickle. Shippou wondered what power each of the senshi carried with them, beyond the mere fighting skills they spoke of.

Dreamweaver sighed, her eyes falling shut and the light around her fading as she shook her head, long waves of dark hair falling around her shoulders as she relaxed, rubbing her temple for a moment before looking up again, face softer and more gentle, a return to the ordinary. Her reflection had returned, and she was no longer an illuminated shadow.

"Hm? Shippou-kun? What is it?" Dreamweaver asked as she noticed the kitsune hovering by her door, open mouthed and apparently dumbstruck. A faint smile formed, and she chuckled once, tilting her head to the side. "I didn't scare you did I? Haruka-chan says I look creepy when I work this way."

Finally getting his voice back, Shippou stuttered, "N...no...I just wanted to know what the light was...."

Glancing at the clock, it read past midnight. "Ah. Did you need something? You should be asleep. It's very late," she told him, looking puzzled. His clothes were slightly rumpled, as though he'd been lying down, but he didn't look as though he'd woken up.

Suddenly a little shy, Shippou shuffled and glanced around. "Wanted a drink of water."

Weaver blinked, brows lifting in mock suspicion. "Oh? From the upstairs bathroom? Why didn't you go to the kitchen or the downstairs one? I showed you how to use water from the tap."

Sourly, Shippou dropped to the ground, folding his legs and pouting that he'd been caught in a little lie. "Feh."

She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "You've been around Inuyasha-kun too long, Shippou-kun! You're starting to sound like him."

"I do not," he glowered, glaring up from under his bangs and then looking away stubbornly. "I just wanted to see what you were doing, that's all. I never got to see any of you actually use your magic stuff, and I didn't know that Haruka girl was going to use her Sword thing with Inuyasha."

Weaver smiled, then petted him lightly on the head for a moment in encouragement. "It's all right. But I'm done now," she sighed, smile dimming thoughtfully as she glanced at the surface of the mirror.

"Did you find anything? What'd you do?"

"Setsuna-san sleeps, nothing more. The binding that has been placed around her is still intact, though her mind feels clearer now. She will break through, given time," Weaver told him, glancing past the mirror and in the general direction of Setsuna's room. "She is strong. It will be soon."

"And Hotaru?" Shippou prompted, remembering that was why Kami had announced she was working tonight in the first place. "How's she? She didn't look good either."

At that, Weaver's face deepened into a frown, and her hand became a fist, pressed against her chin. "There is nothing there."

"Huh?"

She shook her head helplessly, turning away as a swirl of mist flowed over her shoulders and down her sides, enveloping her and returning her to her normal state, wearing a long white nightgown, flowing around her ankles. Her expression remained the same, thoughtful though pensive. "There is nothing there to sense. Hotaru-chan has faced any nightmares she may have left since her time as the Vessel of Mistress 9. But she does not _act_ the same. I understand why she would be upset with the return of a creature from this Tau Ceti place, but she is carrying an unusual load of sad memories. That is not a good sign, but...." Kami trailed, shaking her head and reaching up, unbinding the loops in her hair as she picked up her brush to comb it, whipping it through a couple times, then stopping anxiously. "There is no sign of an outside source effecting her. I can't trace anything preying on her mind. But there must be. She wouldn't fall into this over the appearance of this Karasu person alone. She knows far better than that." Kami set the brush down, began to reach for her hair to braid it, then let her hand drop. "There's only a void."

Shippou watched her as she bit her lip, folding and unfolding her hands nervously on her counter. There was something set up on the top of it, facing outward for him to see. Some kind of gilded book, a picture on the front of it. A man held a little girl in his arms, a woman who looked like an older Hotaru with them, trying to keep the child from squirming too much for the picture. "Well," he said, trying to cheer her up, "I'm sure you'll figure it out. In the past, you got into Inuyasha's dreams, right? You've got to be strong to get into a head as dense as that!"

She lifted her head and smiled faintly at his attempt to make her laugh. "You are very sweet, Shippou-kun."

"Am not," he muttered, folding his arms again stubbornly. He wasn't sweet. Little kids were sweet, and he didn't really feel like being a little kid at the moment. By this time, he'd be a grownup if he went back to the sengoku jidai and lived the time between. Of course, that meant he'd be around here somewhere. Or did they not go back? The possibility began to dawn on him that they might not return, and he glanced at Kami as she once again attempted to braid her hair for the night. Stuck here. Would that be so bad? Everyone he knew or cared about was here, and this time was much more interesting than the past. All the candy he could want, and there was the television and so much in this world to see. He'd been stuck in the house most of the time. No, no, they had to go back. Naraku was still wandering around in the past, and they had to stop him. The senshi couldn't do that. There was Miroku too, with his hand. If they didn't, there'd be all kinds of trouble. He'd live until this time anyway. He hoped. Where was he if he did live this long? What would his life be like?

"Shippou-kun, you'd better get back to bed," Kami advised with a suppressed yawn. "It's late, and we'll be getting up with everyone else when they get dressed for school."

"Oh..." he realized, breaking out of his reverie. She was tying off a ribbon at the end of her second braid, and turning down her own tall, foreign style bed. He shuffled around a bit, half turned, then turned back. "Can I stay here?" he blurted, blinking up at her.

Kami stared at him, wondering what he was possibly thinking. "Why? Don't you always stay with Kagome-san?"

"Well...yeah...." he faltered, shifting around a bit and fidgeting. "I was just wondering," he muttered, then looked up. "Night, Kami."

"Good night...."

He pulled on the door behind him, and Kami pushed it the rest of the way until it was closed. What a puzzling little boy.

* * *

Did you like the scene between Kagome and Hotaru? I've been trying to get as many parallels between to two series scraped together as I can, and since the possession of souls is a common theme between the two series, I thought I'd bring it up here, comparing _Sailormoon_'s Mistress 9/Professor Tomoe to _Inuyasha_'s Kikyou. No, I'm not a Kikyou hater, as you can probably tell by reading the scene...I'm not exactly a devout fan- (I love Inuyasha and Kagome! ^___^) but the fact that she plays a major role in the IY/K relationship (whether you like it or not) adds a great deal to the storyline...Inuyasha/Kagome would be much more ordinary (ordinary= typical/boring) without the resurrected ex-girlfriend. In a sense, the Mistress 9 incidents remind me of what happened to Kikyou...after coming into contact with Germatoid and Pharaoh 90, Hotaru became something very sinister and unlike what she really is while her soul was...I guess you could say submerged. In a sense, she hurt and tried to kill her friends as Mistress 9, the 'real' Hotaru existing within the reformed, adult body Mistress 9 created. Though at the same time, it was her. Hotaru is as much Mistress 9 as Kagome is the ressurected Kikyou. I find Kikyou and her role in the series too interesting to hate. Does that make any sense?  
Okay, now that I've preached about Kikyou and the nature of what happens to people who have problems dealing with their soul-or-souls, onto something else. I've been having fun with Shippou again...hehe. Anyway, referring back to _Kami Monogatari,_ Shippou developed a slight crush on the then-about-his-age Kami/Ukifune. I'm just playing around with that a bit here again.  
Til next storytime.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 21: Nest-

"Welcome to my home."  
Those words caught Uranus and Miroku's attention, and they stopped to listen as Neptune read the paper in her hands, unfolded. Black letters had been printed neatly onto the page in calm, dark strokes of clear handwriting.


	22. Nest

Of This World And Yesterday

_Back when humans roamed in small bands,_  
_when the forest seemed endless and night all-powerful,_  
_the common belief was that other creatures were thinkers too,_  
_whose spirits could be bribed with song and dance._  
_But eventually, the scary woods were pushed back a little._  
_Mud-brick temples glistened, and bibles began saying,_  
_"No, the world was made for man to _**use.**_"_  
_Soulless, animals were for his disposal._  
_-Earth, David Brin_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 21- Nest

It was a dark pillar in the center of the ruin, a single spire that jutted out higher than the rest, flattened off on top enough for a person to stand if they could reach it. Most of the rubble around Mugen Academy had been cleared away, but the actual space that the building once took up was cluttered with debris.

The day had dawned in pale shades, clouds hovering in the distance, not quite threatening, though existing on a knife's edge of perception. Four figures stood before the mess of Mugen Academy, a line that stood just before the cement and fence blockade, gaudy neon yellow construction tape warning people to keep out. Haruka and Michiru had made the morning rounds, collecting Miroku from Mamoru's apartment before he headed to the day's classes. The five of them, Kirara again stashed in Sango's purse, had headed for the remains of the multi-story school, parking the car on the street and walking around, doing their best to be unobtrusive in their investigations.

"The negative aura is almost nonexistent," Miroku commented quietly, glancing around him. There were a few people on the street, but apparently the varied attacks around Tokyo were finally settling into people's heads, and they were staying inside more. Around the epicenter of the old battle, there was a very faint negative aura, though overlapping it and washing it away was another one, warm and bright, like a star, shining. "It feels more positive than anything else."

"That would be the Princess's influence," Michiru told him quietly, holding her mirror low and reflecting it upward into the sunlight. She was still pale, though being Michiru, she had composed herself so that any tiredness from the previous day appeared gone, dressing herself in a rose patterned sundress and tying her hair back with a bright ribbon. "She stood on top of that pillar in the center, and brought rebirth to the people and buildings that had been destroyed in Pharaoh 90's range."

"We should head out again," Haruka decided, turning away from the wall and sticking her hands into her pockets. "I'd say the wind is blowing from that way." She gestured with her chin further up the street. "There's just rubble here now."

"Perhaps it would be wise for me to retrieve my shakujyou from your car," Miroku commented, glancing towards where Haruka had suggested. The day was slightly windy, though without much bluster, and it carried with it a prickling sense, setting his nerves gratingly on edge. He agreed with Haruka's assessment, and wanted to have a weapon in hand this time, odd looking on the street or not. Besides, the aura was close, and the few people were scurrying about, ignoring the quartet on the sidewalk. "It will only take a moment."

Haruka shrugged, turning aside and pulling her keys out of her pocket. They had parallel parked just down the street on the curb. "Come on then, houshi."

Kirara mewed quietly, and Sango laid a hand on her head to soothe her. The purse was cramped, and Kirara had been riding in it every time they went out, despite occasional turns at fighting. She glanced at Michiru, who had returned her gaze to the ruins of Mugen for a moment. In the grey morning, she looked pale, alabaster skin washed out slightly, though she insisted she was well that morning. Her profile held a slight tension, barely visible around the corners of her eyes.

"How are you feeling, Michiru-san?" Sango asked quietly as she checked on Miroku and Haruka's progress, moving quickly along the sidewalk.  
"Better," she replied evenly, then glanced at Sango with a faint smile playing on her lips. "Walk with me a moment?" Michiru suggested, then, seeing Sango's darting glance backward, she added, amused, "They'll catch up." Before Sango could reply, the aqua haired woman turned and began to walk, folding her arms for a moment, then dropping them, clasping her hands together as Sango hurried up, letting the two fall into an even step.

A few cars rushed by, sending a stray newspaper floating up out of the sewer drain and onto the concrete before them, skittering past on a gust of wind. Cars drew to a halt beside them as the light turned red, and the cars headed in the opposite way began to cross the intersection as Sango and Michiru reached the corner.

"Would you die to protect someone you love?"

The question came abruptly, and Sango was slightly startled, not sure where this was coming from, much less going. "Of course," came the answer, seeming fairly obvious. Michiru still had a distant expression, blue eyes unfocused and faraway, not seeing the cars that flew past them.

"Mm," she sighed, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully and then turning towards Sango. "Haruka and I work as partners. It has been that way since the beginning, when there was only us, fighting alone. We had each other, though no one else. Not until we began to trust in the Princess. Still, we work as partners, even though we are not alone anymore. Haruka can be hasty sometimes, and she loses her head." A fond, slightly exasperated smile touched Michiru's features for a moment, then she shook her head, a tendril of hair falling over her shoulder. "So I stay beside her, to keep her in line, and to help her." Michiru let out a tiny laugh, and shrugged as though used to any of Haruka's eccentricities. "Don't worry about me, okay? I'm going today to help protect people I care about. That is what's important."

Something in Michiru's speech unsettled Sango, making her shift uneasily from foot to foot. These senshi could be very odd sometimes, switching from seriousness to laughter within a heartbeat. At the same time, it wasn't so unfamiliar...they also, though differently, fought. Women, fighting. Fighting together as a unit, a team against various kinds of enemies, youkai, youma...she had heard the others mention other names, things Sango didn't recognize. Droids? Lemures? Still, it was a familiar and yet unfamiliar thought. Most fighters were men in her era, and though many said she was a good taiji-ya, occasionally she felt being a fighter was a black mark on her somehow. These women, though...they fought elegantly, proudly, as though there was nothing more natural in the world than to fight and to be feminine at once. And they cared for their companions so much...of course she would protect the people she loved. Neptune had led the way into Viluy's attack yesterday, taking the Mosaic Buster before Uranus. She would do the same, were the situation different. Sango had lost too many people already.

"Oy," Haruka greeted as she and Miroku returned, the houshi now with his shakujyou in hand, the rings sounding lightly as they chimed against each other. "What are you two chattering about?"

Michiru arched an eyebrow as Haruka leaned in a bit, teasing slightly. "You, of course," she replied tartly, dryly adding, "Nothing else in the world more fascinating."

Haruka just laughed, and Miroku looked on, puzzled at the joke he wasn't quite getting. Sango was suddenly watching the sidewalk, lips drawn thin in a considering expression. What had they been talking about? Walking up, he had seen Michiru speaking most of the time, while Sango's expression had slowly closed off on itself. "Sango?"

There was a worried tone to his voice, and she perked up her head at her name. "Eh? Oh, I'm fine, houshi-sama. Just thinking."

"We'll find the place today," he began, but was cut off by Haruka and Michiru starting across the street as the Walk sign began to flash, and the two began calling for Sango and Miroku to hurry before it changed again.

They stopped before a tall building, not quite a skyscraper, though fending for itself well enough amid the towering structures that fenced its sides. Sleek and impressive in its subtlety, it conformed to the appearance of any moderately tall building anywhere. Nice, blocky, new, stylish and somehow forgettable, without artwork or originality to distinguish it. An eye could slide across the buildings' surface and then away, a thing seen and then forgotten in the same moment.

"Here."

A hand reached out and pulled open the glass door, reflections flicking rapidly across the tinted surface as they slowly filed in, fanning out slightly as the lobby sprawled out before them. No people walked across the polished marble floor, no one sat behind the receptionist's desk that was tucked away into the far corner, an empty pot for a nonexistent plant resting beside it.

Sango set down her purse, and Kirara stepped primly out, lifting her head and peering around with wide crimson eyes. The vacant lobby was dim, none of the lights overhead turned on, to chase away the shadows. Tall, shaded windows let in faded columns of light across the floor, tricking the mind into thinking the day was at its end, rather than reaching its midpoint.

"Time to henshin," Haruka said flatly, looking across the stretch of floor to three elevators on the far side of the room. She glanced at Michiru, who was slowly lifting her hand to the air. A moment later, two voices were raised together.

"Uranus Crystal Power!"

"Neptune Crystal Power!"

"Make-up!"

For a moment, the dimness was washed away as golden and maritime lights chased away the darkness, leaving two Sailor Senshi in their wake.  
Sailor Uranus smirked, glancing around at the corners of the lobby and cracking her knuckles. "Oy! Karasu! If you're watching us someplace, we're coming! Better run and hide."

"This room is empty," Miroku said, stating the obvious to lead into the question, "how do we go into the other rooms? Those doors over there," he gestured at the elevators, "have no knobs."

"Elevators," Neptune told him. "They're called elevators. Same as last time..." she mused, her words almost inaudible, murmured as she began to walk towards them, frowning delicately and then pressing the button on the panel beside the door. Once, at Mugen Academy, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto and Sailor Moon had stepped into an elevator, descending far down into the depths of the school, falling until they reached the bottom level and the hideaway of the Death Busters. "I wonder if a raven builds her nest high like a bird, or low like a daimon?"

The arrow lit, and with a slight pinging sound, the doors slid open.

"Low," Sango said. "Because it would be the opposite of what a usual youkai would do. Karasu hasn't acted much like a usual raven youkai. She'd expect us to go up first."

Uranus and Neptune stepped inside the elevator, tentatively followed by Sango, Miroku and a small Kirara, who was sniffing the air and swiveling her ears to pick up any sound. "There isn't much space in here," Miroku commented as each of them took separate corners of the cube. "If there's an attack from above or below, we'll be easy targets."

"No other way up or down. And last time, getting separated from the Inners was bad," Uranus shrugged, hitting the lowest number on the inside panel of buttons, labeled SL-30. "Sub-level 30 sounds about as low as it goes. Hope neither of you or your kitty cat is claustrophobic."

The doors slid to a close, and the elevator plummeted through the shaft.

Sailor Uranus had her Space Sword readied, standing in front of the doors as they slid open at the lowest level. The light outside was dim, and there was an emptiness in the air, a void that was cold and dry, hollow, smelling of chemicals and solvents. Feeble lemony light cast an odd luminescence on the edges of polished tables and metallic tools, gleaming in acidic shades in the darkness. No sound, no breath stirred, though faintly there was the sound of trickling water.

"Empty," Neptune told her from behind, her Talisman also in hand. "Nothing is reflected."

Miroku edged his way forward, following Uranus as she stepped through the threshold of the elevator shaft. He placed the tip of his shakujyou against the hard ground, the chimes ringing clearly in the vast. "The aura still feels strong...but gone. Recently."

Slowly, Uranus lowered her guard a fraction, eyes sweeping around the empty laboratory. Sailor Neptune and Sango followed them a moment later, Sango leaving her purse behind in the elevator's corner as the opal bracelet on her left wrist glowed faintly, the weapon hidden by the charm on it ready should she need it. Satisfied it was empty, each began to spread out, looking around cautiously to see what was left of the place.

"What are some of these things?" Sango asked, stepping gingerly around an overturned tray of glass, then gasping and grabbing up Kirara as the inquisitive firecat attempted to investigate the sharp shards. "She left in a hurry."

There was a pounding noise as Uranus beat a fist against a table. Wasting time last night recovering had probably given her the time she needed. Still, Uranus wasn't going to just abandon Michiru when she was injured. And the Princess was right. They worked best when all together. This was a reconnaissance mission, not a full out war. Had they actually found anything, they would have had to call for back up. More likely, had they truly expected to find her, they would have waited until after school as well, to come in force and weed her out at once. To know they had missed her was still irritating. "She can't have gotten far. See what you can find here. Stay away from anything too weird. Mugen had all kinds of weird experiments down in the basement. Whatever this bitch has is probably just as bad."

Carefully, Miroku waded his way into the rows of tables, looking across the empty spaces, swept free of dust. "What kind of experiments?"

"You don't want to know," Uranus muttered darkly, though added, "Mercury said Viluy- the real Viluy- showed her a Tau System. A model of one. Thing probably was acting as a portal for Pharaoh 90 when he came through. If you see anything that looks like a galaxy, don't touch it."

"Houshi-sama? Come look at this..." Sango called over her shoulder, half turning around to catch his attention. She had found a corner of the lab, a small alcove with an empty table in its shadows, the center of it darkened as though something had once rested there, the energy of it seeping into the tabletop and staining it. Stepping closer, Miroku could also sense why Sango suddenly looked a bit ill. There was an aura there that was different from the rest of the laboratory, deeper and more subtle. It did not overwhelm in waves, but rather pressed heavily against the back of his mind, pushing and prodding in jabs that made him back away, hastily waving his shakujyou at the space as he covered his nose, as though to ward off a bad smell.

"It's different from the rest of the youki here. Manipulative. Are you feeling all right, Sango?"

She nodded mutely, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment. "It makes my head hurt," she mumbled, stepping away to distance herself from the alcove. "I'm fine. Something was there."

"That's what worries me. She took it with her, wherever she went."

"Ugh..." Sango muttered, backing away and holding Kirara a bit more tightly as Miroku grabbed her arm, steering her back towards the lab tables. "I'm fine...really. Just..." she shook her head again to clear it, running a hand through her hair. "Why would she? That's no youkai power...."

"Uranus! Sango-san! Miroku-san!" Neptune's clear voice rang out in interruption, a touch of worry tingeing the usually placid tone. "I've found something."

A moment later, they were peering over Neptune's shoulder as she knelt at the ground beside a neatly organized desk. Fragments of wax littered the floor, bits and pieces of dolls at her feet. Neptune held one up. "A good likeness of your head, Uranus," she announced as she held up a fractured head and neck of a shattered figurine. "Poppets of some kind."

"The kugutsu," Miroku surmised, glancing again at Sango before releasing her arm to bend down himself, running a hand over the broken limbs and torsos of the dolls. He picked out one that had long black hair, the face stamped into facelessness. "Once either you or Rei, Sango," he guessed as he dropped it back into the pile. "She destroyed them. Why?"

"Because she doesn't need them anymore." Uranus's voice was tight, hard. "It'll go down today. Whatever she's been scheming up. If she's left her nest, she's up to something that doesn't need any more planning."

"Then we'd better hurry," Neptune decided as she stood, brushing off her knees from the cold floor. "I hear water. Farther in."

They walked past empty storage cabinets, the doors swinging open revealing barren shelves. At the room's center lay a pool, round and with clear, reflective water filling it. On the upraised lip of the water, a tiny, unbroken poppet lay out, a piece of crisp white paper folded beneath it.

"It's Pluto," Uranus grunted as she picked up the disfigured wax doll. Black ribbon had been tied around it so tightly that the delicate limbs of the artwork were smashed inward, the replica Timestaff crushed against Pluto's heart, stabbing into it. Energy crackled against Uranus' hand, resisting her touch as she began to unwind the ribbon, trying hard not to break anything on the doll itself. "Just leaving this here...she's making fun of us...shit!" She almost dropped the poppet as a larger spark of energy shot off the ribbon around Pluto's neck.

"This is how she bound your friend Setsuna," Miroku told her, carefully removing the poppet from Uranus' hands. "Just tearing the spell off may do more harm than good."

"So what, we leave her that way?"

Miroku turned the doll over in his hands thoughtfully, shaking his head. "We'll keep it for now. Maybe I can figure out how to unwind it without damaging the person it's supposed to reflect. Your miko senshi may also have some ideas."

"_Welcome to my home_."

Those words caught Uranus and Miroku's attention, and they stopped to listen as Neptune read the paper in her hands, unfolded. Black letters had been printed neatly onto the page in calm, dark strokes of clear handwriting.

"_Welcome to my home._  
_I hope you find something of value in your search, however it is unlikely that I have forgotten anything too important. I do hope to see you all someday. I've admired your work at Mugen, Tenoh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru...._"

Neptune hesitated, arching her eyebrows as she glanced over the top of the paper at Sailor Uranus. "She's been watching us for some time. And..." Neptune chuckled, "she appears to enjoy classical music.

"_And Michiru, your concert at the Memorial Dome was ever so much better than Mimete's. I loved your last album_."

"That one did turn out rather well, until the interruption," Neptune commented as Uranus rolled her eyes.

"_Your friend Setsuna was quite difficult to bind. Enjoy puzzling over how to remove the spell. Again, I must apologize for the wellhouse. Time travel could have been useful to me someday. I doubt your friend will be able to wake up in time to reestablish the warp before...well. You'll see later._  
_I've enjoyed watching you senshi down the years. The appearance of the Shikon no Tama was quite the opportunity. I look forward to having it in hand._"

"Confident, isn't she?" Sango grumbled, folding her arms and holding Kirara tighter as she leaned back a bit from where Neptune knelt on the floor, reading. "Almost as bad as Sesshoumaru or something."

"A bit more humorous," Miroku added dryly, attempting to follow where Neptune read. "She shows some personality other than vanity." Sango just snorted and then they paused to listen again.

"_I do hope to meet the halfling again. Our last encounter left me somewhat irritated with him. Perhaps we can amend our differences_."

"'Amend our differences?' What, does she think Inuyasha will side with her?" Sango managed, incredulous. "What in the world...."  
Neptune continued to read:

"_Please, feel free to make yourself at home at my old nest. I'm afraid that your closeness to my home of the last several years__ has been enough to tell me it's time to move on. I've always wanted a larger place.__ Though I advise against touching the water in my pool.__ It's not for drinking._

_Yours,_  
-_Karasu, Magus_

"That...that...." Uranus spluttered, "arrogant...pompous...."

Neptune folded up the paper and then crushed it in her hand. Then she echoed Sango's earlier comment. "She is rather confident, isn't she?"  
"Neptune," Sango interjected before Uranus could begin to talk again. "You're a water element. The pool...what do you see?"

The two senshi turned and followed Sango and Miroku's gazes, seeing the surface of the water, it's stillness making it into a perfect round mirror. Their faces reflected back at them for a moment, shadowy and clouded, overlaid by other, shifting images of locations, faces, floating idly across the surface, swirling and fading away to be replaced with other images, faded. A shrine, a ruin. A school, people walking through the hallways, then shifting like the fragments of a dream into another building, the uniforms of the students different, merging and changing, indistinguishable from one another.

"A scrying pool..." Neptune breathed, reaching out delicate fingers and letting them hover just above the surface. "How she's watched us."

"We'd better go," Uranus decided as the focus of the water shifted again, twirling. "Check on everyone, get some warnings out to them in case there's another school attack. I don't have any intention of making myself at home in this dump. Let's go."

* * *

So. The chase is on.  
In the _Sailormoon_ anime, Mugen Academy is pretty much reduced to a water-filled crater. In the manga, Usagi goes Princess and fixes pretty much everything in sight, as well as the people, standing on what appears to be a crystalline pillar. (Happy ending required!) I know this chapter was a bit short, but next chapter will be longer, and things are going to be happening very quickly from here on out. Next chapter is all for Inuyasha and Kagome. ^.~  
Til next storytime.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 22: Echo-

Yuka and Eri were openmouthed, while Ayumi was simply staring, a hand over her mouth at the approaching 'prep school student,' obviously a year or two older than they. Long, slightly unruly black hair and a confident, easy stride gave them a bit of pause. There was something in his way of carrying himself that made them wary.  
Kagome didn't know if she should bless him or 'osuwari' him.


	23. Echo

Of This World And Yesterday   
  


_"Alas, alas!"_   
_-and from the place of his death there rose the flower that still bears his name,_   
_to bend its head above the dark, fathomless depths of the pool...._   
_-Narcissus, Retold by Natalie Baan_

  
  
  
  
  


Chapter 22- Echo   


Though the day was a warm one, the growing humidity in the air pressed heavily down on the earth like a blanket, warm yet stifling, a heavy hand pressing down on the backs of the people going about their daily tasks. Still, there was a slight chill in the breeze, distinguishable by the faint traces of gooseflesh it raised on Kagome's bare legs. She stood with her ankles crossed, leaning up against the side of the dugout, face turned aside and eyes distant, hair up in a ponytail. A crack split the air, and cheers rose from some students lining the fence, rattling it and making metallic shimmering noises. 

"I love having convocations," Eri sighed, stretching and resting her hands behind her head, short, straight hair slipping through her fingers for a moment as she looked around. "It disrupts the whole day. Gym in the afternoon instead of history. All we had to worry about today was the geometry exam." 

Yuka clapped her hands in delight as one of the faster boy students slid into first base, sending up clouds of dust and dirt as he was declared safe by the teacher. Distracted, she replied, "Still, it's pretty creepy what they talked about. Someone putting put a pipe bomb in the school. I heard that they're talking about installing cameras in the hallways. The convocation was probably just to keep people calm. I bet a lot of parents were calling in upset about it. Mom was almost ready to pull me out for the week. What about your mom, Kagome? You were in school the other day." 

Silence. 

"Kagome?" Yuka repeated, turning away from the game as another boy stepped up to bat, the pitcher winding up. Not liking being ignored, Yuka glanced at Eri, then at Ayumi, who was standing off to the side and watching Kagome curiously. "Yuka to Kagome, come in...." 

The grey sky was dim, the clouds thickening in the colorlessness of the day, washed out and pale. Kagome bit her lip thoughtfully. Sango and Miroku would have been to Mugen by now, would have found something. Were they okay? Had they found Karasu? Found anything? She half hoped Inuyasha would disobey her command to not come down from his perch on the building and tell her anything he may know. The most likely thing would be for the two senshi and her friends to come around with any news, to let them know what was going on. Lunch had ticked by, and no word came. 

"Earth to Kagome? Kagome!" 

Only one more period after gym, and then she was free for the day. Still, she felt restless, leaning against the side of the dugout beside the baseball diamond, stuck wondering and worrying. Inuyasha shouldn't come down, but she wanted to know if there was any news. One more period after this, then she could know. Just another hour or so. It made her nervous. 

"Kagome-chan?" Ayumi asked, stepping forward and peering around into her friend's faraway eyes, tentatively touching her arm. The contact startled her out of her reverie, and Kagome blinked. "Are you feeling all right? Your appendicitis isn't getting worse, is it?" 

"Apendi...appendicitis..." Kagome groaned with a sigh, folding her arms over her stomach and shaking her head. Jii-chan strikes again. That must have been the last excuse for her absences. She just hoped that someday he would find some better way of telling her friends she was not able to come to school. At least before he started running into the fatal diseases. "Eh...no, Ayumi-chan...I'm fine...just...eh...." 

"If you're not feeling well again, you should go to the nurse!" Eri scolded, shaking a finger at Kagome then placing her hands on her hips. "You've been here for a record of five days running. We thought maybe you were over whatever was always keeping you out." 

"Yuka even thought maybe you were quitting school or something," Ayumi murmured quietly, bowing her head somewhat as she tucked a strand of wavy hair over her shoulder, fidgeting slightly. "That maybe that guy was keeping you away...." 

"Guy?" Kagome repeated dully, not understanding. Then she blinked. "You thought what? He was keeping me..." Kagome almost laughed. Well, they were right, he had been. Though that wasn't exactly the problem they thought it was. What on earth could they think? That he was keeping her locked up somewhere? Or...Kagome blushed. Then got annoyed. Then angry. What, did they think he had gotten her pregnant or something? Or beaten her up? How many ways could a modern guy keep a girl out of school? Either suggestion was ridiculous. If someone tried to injure her, she was more concerned for them than herself. If Inuyasha got wind of that, he'd turn whoever it was into a carpet stain. That other option...Kagome turned a ghastly shade of white. 

"Kagome? Hey! Come on, snap out of it, you've been spacey all day." 

"W...wait a minute!" she managed to pull herself together, standing up straight and avoiding any splinters from the wooden dugout behind her. Another cheer rose from the onlookers as the ball whizzed through the air, sailing upwards. She tried to be calm about it and not to snap at them. Blurting out reality would make it seem like she had a mental problem, not a fake physical one. "How could Inuyasha keep me...." 

"Inuyasha?" 

"Inuyasha?" 

"So that's his name...." 

"What kind of a name is Inuyasha?" Yuka queried, puzzled. She was watching Kagome intently now, as the other girl scrambled to collect herself. "That's the name of the guy you've been seeing? That selfish, rude, violent jerk who's been cheating on you with his ex?" 

Eri shook her head, exasperated. "Kagome-chan...you need to dump that guy!" 

"I like his name..." Ayumi offered sheepishly, trying to cheer Kagome up a little, since she suddenly looked a little ill. "You never told us that before. But if he keeps cheating on you, that's bad, Kagome. All we're trying to say is that you deserve better than that." 

"Eh...well...we...worked it out...." Kagome began lamely, deeply wishing that gym was over. Now. "And he does have good points...." 

"Like always keeping an eye on you?" another voice called in, and that sent the four girls' heads perking up. The voice was male, slightly rough though not unpleasant. Most of their class was watching the baseball game, and not paying attention to the girls on the sidelines. Kagome was glad of that, since Inuyasha was emerging out of the trees a few lengths beyond the dugout. Fortunately he was in his human disguise, though she didn't see the small bulge of Usagi's Luna Pen tucked into the emblazoned pocket of the red jacket. 

Yuka and Eri were openmouthed, while Ayumi was simply staring, a hand over her mouth at the approaching 'prep school student,' obviously a year or two older than they. Long, slightly unruly black hair and a confident, easy stride gave them a bit of pause. There was something in his way of carrying himself that made them wary. 

Kagome didn't know if she should bless him or 'osuwari' him. 

Of course, she couldn't do the latter in front of her friends without a tumult of questioning. Furtively, she glanced at the game, checking to see if the gym teacher was paying any attention. Seeing that the bases were loaded and the pitcher was winding up again, all focus was on the diamond, not Inuyasha's arrival on the scene. She was very glad Hojo wasn't around. That could be unpleasant. 

"Yuka...Eri...Ayumi...this is..." she took a deep breath as he came to stand inside their ring, "this is...my boyfriend. Inuyasha." 

Yuka and Eri pounced. 

"Inuyasha! Are you still dating your ex-girlfriend?" 

"What school do you go to? I don't recognize that uniform." 

Inuyasha blinked, staring at them. "Who the hell are you and why are you asking me stupid questions?" 

Yuka and Eri were dumbfounded for a moment. 

"Ah...Inuyasha-kun," Ayumi interjected as politely as she could, "Are you visiting Kagome-chan? This is still part of the school day you know...." 

"Yeah. I've got to talk to her a minute. It's important," he said, looking hard at her. "You still have...that necklace I gave you?" 

Necklace? Shikon no Tama? Of course. It was under the top of her gym uniform. She wasn't about to leave _that _in her locker. Unconsciously, she lifted her hand to her neck, feeling the small lump of it at her throat. It was unlikely someone would try to steal it, but with Karasu running around and willing to attack schools, leaving it anywhere was a bad idea. If Inuyasha was asking about it, then something bad must have happened...Sango-chan? Miroku-sama? Shippou? One of the senshi? Was someone hurt? She had to get him away from her friends so they could talk. 

"Necklace?" Yuka perked up, recovering before anyone else could talk. "You gave her a gift? Kagome-chan?" 

"Ah...yes...a couple weeks ago..." she lied as best she could. "A necklace...since...um...." 

"Since I broke up with my old girlfriend," Inuyasha told them, folding his arms stoutly and glowering at them. "Did you think I'd want to be with someone other than Kagome at once? What've you been telling them about me?" he glared at Kagome. "I wouldn't cheat on you." 

Eri was looking between the annoyed Inuyasha and the slightly startled Kagome, trying to figure out what was going on. Kagome wasn't usually one to exaggerate, though Inuyasha was looking pretty offended. "So you're not cheating on Kagome?" she asked, still suspicious. 

"Of course not," he sniffed irritably. "I love Kagome. I wouldn't do that to her." 

Kagome stared at him a moment in utter disbelief. He loved her? He loved her. He loved her! Really? What? No. Yes...but...no. Wait a minute. That's not right. Inuyasha...Inuyasha wouldn't just say something like that out loud to her friends...not like that. Not offhandedly. Certainly not without telling her that in private first! Preferably with candles and romantic music or at least a sunset or something. A last minute declaration while being in life threatening mortal danger was another option. The last was the most likely situation, given their usual relationship, but still. 

He was just standing there, saying it so casually! She watched him more narrowly, the way he folded his arms and stood with an annoyed expression. Details were exact; the same face, the same hair, the same attitude. The same sour expression on his lips, as though in a hurry and was being bothered by something petty. All were trademark Inuyasha. But.... 

Yuka, Eri and Ayumi seemed somewhat placated though, backing away a step and regarding Inuyasha again. "You're not hurting her? Because she really cares about you for some completely insane reason..." Yuka argued, still trying to assure herself that Inuyasha was sincere. "You're not going to be causing her problems?" 

"Don't be stupid," he snapped. "Kagome," he growled faintly, "I need to talk to you." 

Still had the attitude problem. That was Inuyasha all right. But...Inuyasha wouldn't just...say that. Not with all they'd been through. She remembered the way he had held her, how he sometimes would get slightly shy at some moments, slightly afraid, as though she would just stand and leave him. He relied on her for that, trusted her. 

He still held feelings for Kikyou. He may hold her when they were alone, but that old feeling would not just fade away at the insistence of Yuka and Eri. He would not say he loved her until any lingering feelings and loyalties towards Kikyou were resolved. 

Which of course, led her to one conclusion. 

"I know. It's all right...Inuyasha, why don't we sit behind the dugout and talk?" 

"Fine," he turned away for a moment, glancing over his shoulder when she did not move. "Oy. What's wrong?" 

"Nothing," she replied as easily as she could. Her friends were staring at her, confused and picking up on her hesitation. It wasn't him. It wasn't. Why don't we sit behind the dugout and talk? Why don't we_ sit _behind the dugout and talk? Osuwari. He didn't osuwari. Who then? What? Would it attack her friends if she didn't play along? Where was the real Inuyasha? He should be watching. On the rooftop. She tried to stall. "Nothing, it's just that...." 

A whistle blew loudly, shrill in the heavily humid air. Groans chorused up from the players on the diamond, and the class began to move, heading in towards the building reluctantly. "Yuka-chan," Kagome blurted quickly, "I need to talk to Inuyasha for just a minute. Cover for me, will you? It'll just be a moment, all right?" she asked, hoping that he'd agree. Her question earned a noncommittal shrug, and he turned, disappearing around the dugout to wait for her. "Please?" 

"Kagome-chan..." Yuka began to protest, eyes straying to where Inuyasha disappeared, "he's...I don't know...are you sure you want to be alone with him? I know what he said, but guys lie...." 

"Inuyasha doesn't lie to me," Kagome told her firmly, holding her shoulders for a moment and looking at her hard. "I know I told you he was selfish and violent...but not towards me, okay? And he never..._never_ lies to me. It's not in him to lie. Understand? Cover for me for just a minute. It's important that I talk to him." Where was the real Inuyasha? Who was that thing waiting for her? A kugutsu? The others had been replicas of the Witches 5...there was no reason Karasu couldn't make one of Inuyasha if they could be recreated...and according to the others, they had known who they were, calling themselves by name. Eudial. Viluy. Same attacks. Same personalities. He didn't osuwari. She had to get her friends safe.... 

"Kagome?" 

"I'll be there. Just give me a minute? Please? Trust me on this, okay?" 

Ayumi put her hand on Kagome's, prying it off of Yuka's shoulders nervously. "We will. I'll...see you in next hour, right?" 

"Yes, of course," she agreed hastily. 

The three of them looked between themselves, sharing odd glances. Then they slowly turned, heading inside and following the rest of the class, trailing a bit and occasionally glancing backward to see if she was all right. After a long moment, they disappeared inside the school doors. 

"Took them long enough," Inuyasha muttered as he leaned against the side of the dugout, coming back to the front. "What have you been telling them about me? They're all freaked out." 

Not attacking yet. That was good. "Inuyasha...what's wrong? Are the others okay?" 

"Karasu moved," he told her, folding his arms and grunting. "They didn't find anything. That's why we think she's out after the schools, coming after you. I need the Shikon no Tama. You're more vulnerable in there than I am. It's safer with me." 

"But she'd expect you to take it if that happened," Kagome argued, still stalling for time. "Besides, I'm safer inside than outdoors. If you're on the roof, nothing will get by you." 

"You think I can be everywhere at once?" he snorted. 

Was he suggesting that he wasn't perfect? Oh, that was definitely _not_ Inuyasha. 

"I'm not sure. You always have been before. Why the change now?" 

His eyes narrowed. "Give me the tama, Kagome. You don't have time to argue. Your friends will only stall for awhile." 

"Maybe...but I'm not giving it to you. You know better than that." 

"Dammit, Kagome, just give me the tama!" he reached out, heading for her throat. "It's not safe with you!" 

"And it's not with you either! Who are you?" 

Inuyasha's eyes flickered dangerously, sliding over her face, her neck, down her body and legs, then up again. "Don't be an idiot. Give it to me!" Seeing she was going to resist, he lunged forward, reaching for where she had clasped her hands over her heart. Inside her shirt, the jeweled end of the tama felt warm against her skin, sending prickling sensations across her flesh. 

She slipped to the side as fast as she could, but not fast enough. He caught her arm, and she felt heavy fingers digging into her skin, leaving bruises in their wake. He jerked her downward towards the ground and she fell, shrieking. "Inuyasha..._Inuyasha!_"   
  
  
  


The humidity pressed down on his shoulders and back like a heavy hand, weighing him down onto the baked bricks of the school building he sat on. Legs folded, Inuyasha was sitting on the building's ledge, an elbow on his knee and chin in his hand, a slightly bored expression trying to falsify his interest in the ongoings of Kagome's 'gym class.' He still didn't understand what the big deal was about hitting the ball with the stick, though apparently it was good to hit it far. He could do better than any of these guys. Besides, watching Kagome walk around in her other odd uniform was particularly fun to watch from his somewhat closer position than the other day. The bouzu would probably get a nosebleed watching this. Unless Sango was around to whack him good. Why would this school place make girls wear such short pants to run around in? 

He'd only been atop the building a few minutes that morning before unbuttoning the red jacket and the top of the stiff white collar on his shirt. The black silk tie the Luna Pen placed on him so neatly was halfway down his chest, the knot almost completely freed. With black hair and a human appearance, sheathed Tetsusaiga at his hip was the only thing that belied his being anything but ordinary. Other than, perhaps, the fact he was sitting on top of the school in the middle of the afternoon. 

Kagome's team of people were walking off the field, and he saw her stop and lean against the little building off to the side, a couple other girls idly chatting around her while she looked off into the distance. He'd debated for quite awhile over whether or not to go down and talk to her. Inuyasha knew that she would be pissed if he showed up and caused trouble somehow...and there was always something he could screw up. The last couple days of not understanding half of what the modern things were was beginning to sink in, and it gave him a slight pause. This would be a good opportunity to talk to her. The trees swept along the sidelines, and if he came around that way, he could get close enough without being noticed by anyone other than the three chatterers in front of Kagome. Everyone was focused on the game. Apparently it was exciting somehow. Feh. 

Late that morning, he'd been paid a visit by Sailor Uranus and Sango, the former carrying the latter up the side of the building across the street he had occupied until he noticed that Kagome was outdoors. They'd found Karasu's hideout, and found it empty. Which gave them information, but otherwise did them little good. She wasn't there, and there was no sign of where she had gone, though wherever it was, she had taken some things with her. Apparently, the four of them were making rounds to the various locations senshi and time-displacements were across Tokyo, giving updates and warnings as subtly as they could. In Inuyasha's case, that wasn't much of a problem, seeing he was alone. Just a matter of getting up to him. 

So he waited and watched. 

Until a faint tracery of raven wings flitted though his senses, the smell of bird mingling with the usual smells of this era: perfume and flowers, pollution and sewage. They overlaid each other, cascading pleasant smells against putrid ones, almost overwhelming. It was strange how Kagome's time could have so many great things, and at the same time, so many awful ones. Scent seemed to define the conflict. Good and bad both. He sniffed the wind, and lifted his head from his hand, turning around with narrowed eyes to see a black raven fluffing his feathers on one of the coolant vents of the roof. A hand stole to Tetsusaiga's hilt, and he was tempted to blast the thing there. Youkai. 

"I'd hate to see my pet killed," a smooth, slightly bemused voice called to him, descending. Another raven was shifting form, feathers melting away into the figure of a lithe black haired woman, white skin starkly pale against the darkness of her dress. Karasu's feet touched the ground as her shift completed, heels tapping lightly against the roof's surface. 

Inuyasha was on his feet, Tetsusaiga out and transformed, ready in case she moved. 

Karasu arched an eyebrow, appearing somewhat bemused by his stance. "Put away the sword, hanyou, I'm not planning on attacking you." 

"Like hell!" 

She chuckled, shrugging and pushing a lock of hair back over her shoulder as Evermore flitted to perch on her hand. "Believe what you like, hanyou. I'm not here to play stupid games this time. Have you remembered me yet?" 

Tetsusaiga was moved in front of him, both hands on the hilt and ready to strike. A raven youkai, over five hundred years ago from this point in time, weak and powerless, trying to steal the soul of Kaede-babaa as a child. She was casual in her attitude, cooly contemptuous as she watched him watch her. 

"I see you do. Those scars you gave me that day lasted quite some time," she told him, reaching up to idly scratch Evermore's neck. "Though that katana of yours is quite the step up from some claws. I take it that Sailor Moon lent you that pen thing of hers? She hasn't used it in awhile...I assume that's how you're looking so remarkably human." She eyed him critically for a moment, appraising. "The black hair suits you." 

"Glad you pay attention to how I look," he snapped, trying to figure out what she was doing. She sounded like she just wanted some chit chat, and of course that was ridiculous. He was right here, keeping an eye on her, and within easy hearing range of Kagome. If she shouted, then he'd come. Would she try to pull something with him right there? One of the senshi's schools then? With a kugutsu? Why though? 

"Hm," she shrugged, looking slightly bored as he bristled. "Oh, calm down, hanyou. I am female after all. You're nice looking, but not really my type. A little too rough around the edges." She flicked her fingers at him, then paused and added thoughtfully, "You wouldn't happen to have an older brother, would you?" 

Inuyasha snarled at her. 

Karasu laughed lightly. "You mean you do? Ah, more's the pity...there are so few youkai around these days, I'd be delighted to meet another one." 

"My bastard brother has nothing to fucking do with this!" 

"Oh?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him. "I'd say he would have quite a bit to do with this." 

What the hell? Inuyasha suddenly had a horrible flash of the idea Sesshoumaru was behind everything somehow. That was insane, and he knew it. He would have known something like that. There was no scent of youkai in this era. Any traceries were so faint he could barely tell. Karasu was the only.... 

She watched the expressions flicker across his face, fury first, ending with a kind of blankness that closed him off, making him more difficult to read. Still, suddenly trying to control himself told her enough. "You have noticed it, haven't you? The lack of youkai in this era? Does it not bother you at all, hanyou? Halfling you may be, but still...I've seen you outside your disguise. White hair, claws, golden eyes and fangs. You protect the humans," she sighed, tilting her head and lightly running a fingertip over Evermore's beak, "so maybe you don't care about the fact our race is nearly extinct." 

Nearly extinct. Nearly...extinct? Youkai, the various races of youkai...low level and high...extinct? Looking down the sharp edge of Tetsusaiga, he saw her standing there, watching him evenly out of black eyes. "Why should you care?" he threw back at her. "You go around and call yourself a fucking Death Buster or whatever shit the senshi are always babbling about. Why should you care?" 

"I may be a Magus, but for five hundred and fifty years, I've been in the body of a youkai," she replied, still keeping the gaze steady. She did not move, but stood in place, motionless as tiny breaths of cool wind snatched at the hem of her skirt. "When I came here, youkai walked the land easily, taking what they wished when they wished. That was fun, and I enjoyed it." A small, pleased smile formed on her lips at the memory. "I lived as a youkai. Here, across the sea, in other lands. It's the same everywhere else, hanyou. Gone. All of us. Some humans have a few stray drops of youkai blood in them, though it's barely recognizable. The genes have become weak down the centuries. Haven't you wondered, hanyou, where the youkai have gone? There is no other world or safe haven for them. Killed, murdered, bred out, it doesn't matter. Down the centuries, there have been fewer and fewer. Humans think this world belongs only to them. Nothing else should have the right to walk it before them." 

Inuyasha was glowering at her through her little speech. It grated on his nerves, making him feel uncomfortable. For most of his life, he had lived away from humans and avoided youkai, fighting for survival. As a child, he'd been ignored because of sharp claws and golden eyes, permanent marks of inhumanity. Half-half. Not one or the other. Something less than equal, something subhuman. 

"You only survived because you ran away and hid," he growled at her, trying to ignore the annoying feeling she had a point. Not all humans were cruel. They weren't...she was wrong. She had to be wrong. She hid herself away to have lived when everyone else had died in order to survive. There was no other explanation. Coward, only stepping forward when ready. 

She was already saying, "That may be. There's no shame in surviving. I came here to give you a choice, Inuyasha, hanyou of the sengoku jidai. If there was some way to return yourself to the past, you'd die out with the rest of them. Here, I offer you the chance to survive. Don't fight me, and I'll let you live in this era. Agree now, and I may even be tolerant enough to let that woman of yours live." Karasu kept her voice deadly even, eyes watchful as they faced off on the rooftop. He looked impassive, hard, though there was a tightness on his face as he fought to keep from reacting. "They can have their uses at times. I'm not trying to kill them all." 

"Feh. What, not ready to kill an entire race?" 

"I am not human!" she lashed back at him, icy fury beginning to simmer under the surface of her eyes. "I am not human. I do not slaughter my own kind for foolish reasons. I kill to feed, I kill to defend myself. I test and judge to see who my enemies are, and I prepare myself for them. I am not human. Killing a race is a human trait. You haven't seen the history of this world. They get worse as time passes. Ask your woman. Look in her history books. See what they've done to their world. You're from an era of war. The wars waged in the sengoku jidai are nothing compared to what I have seen. Fire that rains like hail from the sky, melting flesh from bone and killing millions in an instant. I've seen it. It happened in this land. The humans you protect do this to themselves." 

She was insane. Had to be. Fire falling from the sky? Millions killed in an instant? That was ridiculous. He snorted. 

"Get the fuck out of here." 

"Ask her," Karasu repeated, the sharpness suddenly fading from her voice, becoming empty, hollow and unnaturally sad. "Just ask her." 

"You're out of your mind." 

Karasu laughed. It was a shrill, harsh sound, not quite human though not quite inhuman at once. "I will succeed where Pharaoh 90 and Mistress 9 failed. But I will do it on my own terms, for my own reasons. Humans are a disease on this planet, hanyou. I will do what is necessary." She lifted her hands and they turned black as they transformed, feathers pricking out of her flesh as she prepared for flight. Inuyasha brought back Tetsusaiga, searching for the swirling cloud of youki that would mark the place of the Kaze no Kizu. 

Then a strangled cry reached his ears. 

"Inuyasha..._Inuyasha!_" 

Karasu's laughter sounded in the air around him, echoing though the silence pierced by the distant scream of Kagome. 

As a second raven joined the first in the air, Inuyasha leapt off the side of the school, running.   
  
  
  


"Sankon Tetsusou!" 

The clawing hands at Kagome's throat evaporated, leaving her choking for air as roots began to rain down around her, shredded by a slash of Inuyasha's claws. Distantly, she was aware of motion beside her, the sounds of fighting finished quickly as oxygen began to filter back into her lungs. Her fingers hurt, having been twined around the necklace holding the shards, keeping it with her and resisting. 

"Kagome? Kagome!" Inuyasha's persistent voice hovered worriedly above her, and she looked up to see dark eyes meeting hers. Though deep blue, there were light gold flecks highlighting the irises, hard and intent. He was in the school uniform disguise, though tie was undone and jacket unfastened, rumpled. "Kagome?" 

"Inuyasha...?" she blinked as he tried to help her up. Chunks of roots lay around her, and she focused on them for a moment, then Inuyasha again. "Inuyasha...osuwari." 

Splat. 

"What the fucking hell was that for?!" he began as he pulled himself back up, only to be cut off by Kagome flinging her arms around his neck and hanging on for a moment. "Oy...?" 

"It looked like you...I just...gomen...I said it before, and when you didn't...it wasn't you. It was a kugutsu? Inuyasha, I'm so sorry I said it but I had to be sure...." 

Slightly annoyed at having to sit again, he shrugged it off and wrapped his arms around her, resting his hands lightly on her shoulder blades, feeling them move beneath the fabric of her shirt. Her hair brushed against his cheek, and he lifted his head, setting his chin on top of hers. "You hurt?" 

"No...no, I'm okay. It was going for the Shikon no Tama..." she shuddered, looking over Inuyasha's shoulder at the sliced chunks of kugutsu laying around them. Hopefully, considering that it was made of roots and earth, not much attention would be paid to the lumps laying around on the ground outside the baseball diamond. She pulled back a bit to look at him in the face. "Inuyasha...what happened? I thought you would have been sitting on the roof or something...." 

A low growl escaped his throat, and even with the human appearance, Kagome remarked on how unnatural the sound could be, coming from him. In the sharp coolness of the breeze, she shivered. 

"That Karasu bitch decided to pay me a visit. She talks a lot of shit for a bird youkai," he snorted, glancing towards the vacant rooftop. "That was a pretty lousy attempt to get at the tama in comparison to what she's done before. You sure you're fine?" 

"Yes." 

"It's not safe. She's here. Not just some kugutsu," he told her, gripping her shoulders and looking at her intently. "Sango and Uranus came up this morning and told me they went to some building by that Mugen place. It was cleared out. Uranus seems to think that means she's ready for whatever she's planning on doing. If she's after the tama, this isn't a good place to have a battle. We need to get out of here. Now." 

Wide blue eyes stared back at him as he spoke, first getting ready to argue. School was almost out for the day, and it would be pointless to leave now. But if Karasu was here...right here...then the sooner she and the Shikon no Tama got out of the area, the better. Yuka, Eri, Ayumi-chan...they'd be wondering what was taking her so long by now. Everyone in the school...Inuyasha was right about that, at least. This was not a good place for a battle. If she was still around, they didn't have much time to lead her away. "Okay." 

"Okay?" he repeated, surprised. She was actually agreeing to leave? 

Kagome nodded, sighed once, then stood up, untangling herself from him. "Give me five minutes, ten tops. Meet me at the front of the school, where we met last time." 

"Why not now?" he persisted a little peevishly, not seeing why they couldn't just go. There was no one around. 

"Because I can't just disappear. People will wonder what's going on and look for me. Don't worry," she warned him as she backed away towards the building, suddenly clutching her stomach with a teasing wink. "I suddenly feel a case of acute appendicitis coming on. Just meet me, all right?" 

"Oy!" he called as she turned and ran back towards the school. Irritated, he dropped back onto his haunches. Ordering him around again, right after he saved her life. Feh. Gratitude.   
  
  


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This chapter was actually not a part of the original plan, and yet, ended up being relatively important. At least as far as Karasu's motives go...originally she was a lot more simplistic, and her goal was basically to one up the Death Busters (ie, A 'Ha ha, I beat them and you couldn't!' attitude). As the story progressed, Karasu started taking on some more motives and a better background. I think she's a stronger character this way. 

And I got to have a chapter of all for Inuyasha and Kagome...for some reason that just seems so...rare...for me- considering how much I like them. Anyway, I'm trying to walk a fine balance between the ideal (their being together/a couple ^_^) and the reality (an angsty, if often humorous not-quite-together couple). I don't want to just randomly brush aside what's actually happening in canon. Which is why "Inuyasha's" declaration of love seemed very out of place to Kagome. If I was just ignoring everything in the manga and making them a super-happy couple...Kagome wouldn't have gotten that it was a kugutsu, and either would have lost the Shikon no Tama or ended up hurt. Both relatively _bad_ things to have happen. 

Kagome's friends crack me up. I'm glad I got to include them in a chapter somewhere...they finally get to meet this infamous 'boyfriend' Kagome's told them so much about. Yuka and Eri always seem to share a brain, so I had them act a lot alike- relatively aggressive. Ayumi seems like the slightly-ditzy-but-actually-quite-smart type to me, judging by the way she acts in the anime. I had fun with that scene. 

As for the 'convocation' the girls are talking about, I'm not really sure how a school meeting would run in Japan. I based it off how things ran when I was in high school...in other words, it messed up the whole school day. If this is totally off base, I apologize. 

Well, onto the next chapter. Til next storytime.   
~Queen   
  
  


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Coming up next, in Chapter 23: Storm-   
  


Begining to seperate to their own ways, Ami, Makoto and Minako paused, glancing at her and hearing the anxiety in her voice. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan," Minako told her, trying to cheer her up. "Just go get Chibiusa-chan. We'll meet you at Mugen as soon as we can. Just you don't be late. You know how mad Rei-chan will get if you are," she winked, holding a finger to her lips conspiratorially. Usagi managed a feeble smile that grew stronger, slowly lighting her face gently. 

On unspoken agreement, the four parted ways.   
  



	24. Storm

Of This World And Yesterday

_If you ever get close to a human_  
_And human behaviour_  
_Be ready to get confused_  
_There's definitely no logic_  
_To human behavior_  
_-Bjork, Human Behavior_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 23- Storm

A slim hand was placed on the glass door, pushing it open to admit four girls into a steel grey sky. The dimness had tinted the air and the scene around them, darkening the world into shades that blended and merged with each other rather than a flush of brilliant afternoon brightness. The chill of the air permeated the fabric of their school uniforms, causing the pigtailed blonde to fold her arms and shiver momentarily.

Makoto brushed a stray tendril of hair from her eyes, having caught on the wind that blew from above. That day had been one of anticipation; waiting, watching, wondering if word would come from Haruka and Michiru about Karasu's whereabouts. Did they find her? What did they find if they did not? Time had ticked away, and just before lunch, a message came from the main office asking for Usagi to pick up her lunch. Apparently her neighbor- a nice, teal haired girl, the office lady said- had dropped it off since Usagi had left it at home, and her mother couldn't take it in herself. At lunch, each of them had gathered around their leader to read the note pinned inside the sack. Written in Michiru's clean, elegant hand they found the words:

_Konnichiwa, Usagi-chan, Ami-chan, Mako-chan and Minako-chan._

_I hope this letter finds you well. I'm afraid we weren't able to find what we were looking for when we went out shopping today- the store was completely bought out! But we aren't giving up just yet. There's sure to be other places with the lovely decorations we saw the other day. I'm sure the others will be disappointed when we pass that along. We'll be out window shopping, maybe get some other groceries. Just a few more things I'd like to pick up. Usagi, do try to share the sweets Haruka and I bought for your lunch. I'm sure you'll all enjoy them._  
_Until this afternoon-_  
_Yours, Michiru_

The meaning was clear enough to the senshi. Karasu's nest was empty. They would be passing the message along, probably in the same way, to the others. Any other details, and they'd have to wait for after school, when they could talk privately and find out what more they could.

Now though, the forbidding sky gave chills, ones that were not necessarily from cold. Other students tucked their heads down and clutched their books tightly as they headed into the oncoming wind, sensing a storm coming and wishing to get home before a downpour.

"That can't be natural," Minako murmured as they angled themselves away from the people heading out of the building. "It gives me the creeps."

"It's not," Makoto confirmed, glancing at the passing members of the student body, scanning them with emerald eyes. They were unusually quiet, the usual clamor of being free of school for the day lacking, faces taciturn. She swept her eyes again to the sky, feeling a sickly sensation lift the hairs on the back of her neck. The feeling had been irritating her for most of the afternoon, though indoors, she had been able to ignore it for the most part, trying to concentrate on her home economics class. "Look at those clouds...."

Swirls had formed high above, spiraling darkly and churning in the heaven, a ring in the air above. It was preternatural, as though signifying the oncoming of a tornado, twisting counterclockwise in several different points around the city. Far in the distance, there was a sharp marking where the clouds ended and normal daylight began, a thick shadow laying across the most heavily populated areas of the land.

"Michiru-san's note sounded like Karasu was up to something," Usagi interjected, edging her way closer to the other three girls, Ami, Makoto and Minako turning to look at her as she spoke. "Maybe one of us should go get Rei-chan." Usagi let her eyes flick away from the others for a moment, towards the stormcloud in the center of the city. "We didn't get to make any kind of meeting plans with the others, but I think we should all get together...does that sound okay?"

There were nods.

"I'll go get Rei-chan," Minako offered, stepping back a bit. "Mako-chan may have the longest legs, but," she lifted a finger to the air dramatically, "I have been practicing my late-for-school-sprint for years." A half teasing wink finished off her declaration, and then faded, replaced with a determined, serious look. "Why don't we try to meet at the old Mugen site? That seems to be general area where the clouds are darkest."

Minako's statement made Usagi go white, as Ami nodded in agreement, saying: "That would be my guess, too. There's been too much to do with the Death Busters so far...and if Karasu was living somewhere nearby there, she may go back. Someone should go get Chibiusa-chan and Hotaru-chan. No one should be alone at this point."

"I'll get them," announced Usagi, folding her hands together tightly. "I'll give Haruka-san and Michiru-san a call too, to see where they are and let them know where to meet."

Makoto shifted the weight on her feet, letting her eyes linger on the grey horizon again. There was something inherently disturbing about it, making her nerves stand on edge, bitingly sharp. There would be a battle soon. She could feel it. "Then Ami-chan and I will head over there now."

Looking from face to determined face, Usagi tried to calm herself. Battles never ceased to make her afraid. There were times when she wondered if someone wouldn't come back. If maybe one battle would be the last. They were stronger now than ever before, though the fearful sensation never would completely leave. Always the chance remained. That maybe one day Jupiter and Mercury would disappear. Or Venus and Mars. Separating worried her, remembering the last time they faced the Death Busters. The Inners went higher into the tower of Mugen Academy, while she and the Outers descended below, down, down into the depths of the building. They had almost died then, and the link between them all that gave her the Super transformation had been cut. That had been such a horrible feeling, draining, sinking, believing that they could be dead. Those three faces that stood before her now, and the one that was halfway across town, at her own school. The concept of losing them weighed heavily on her mind for some reason. A premonition, perhaps...if not of this time, then maybe the future. Usagi, though, was not prone to seeing the future, and so she dismissed it.

The clouds swirled darkly now, and separating would be the fastest way to make sure everyone was not alone. Loneliness was one thing that could weaken them; the senshi were strongest together. There was nothing she could really do, other than get to Chibiusa.

Her voice sounded a bit thin as she warned, "Be careful, okay everyone?"

Beginning to separate to their own ways, Ami, Makoto and Minako paused, glancing at her and hearing the anxiety in her voice. "Don't worry, Usagi-chan," Minako told her, trying to cheer her up. "Just go get Chibiusa-chan. We'll meet you at Mugen as soon as we can. Just you don't be late. You know how mad Rei-chan will get if you are," she winked, holding a finger to her lips conspiratorially. Usagi managed a feeble smile that grew stronger, slowly lighting her face gently.

On unspoken agreement, the four parted ways.

* * *

Precariously, Shippou balanced the tray in his small hands, trying to keep the items from sliding off and onto the clean swept floor of the hallway. A sensation prickled on his senses, and had been since that morning, oddly unidentifiable. Kami had positioned herself at the window of Setsuna's room, pulling aside the white lace curtains and looking out onto the street from the padded window seat. She sat there, still and silent, quietly telling him to go get a fresh bowl of water and something for them to drink.

Kami would be eerie in that way, at times. The little ghost girl he saw ages ago had the same demeanor, one moment smiling and playing, the next with faded eyes that did not see a mortal realm. The water in the bowl he was carrying glistened slightly in the light that pressed itself through the stained glass windows in the hallway, catching deep blue and green facets from either side of the door. His reflection caught on the water in the bowl, and he tried to imagine himself looking like this permanently.

As a kitsune, his small hands and feet made carrying the tray difficult; so he aged himself a bit, giving himself longer arms and legs, broader hands. He still only looked about ten, but he could reach the kitchen sink and turn the knob to let loose the stream of cool water. Placing a damp washcloth on Setsuna's forehead really seemed redundant at times. She had no fever, and how much a wet cloth really helped anyway he didn't know. But it gave both himself and Kami something to do while they waited and watched, keeping them from wringing hands helplessly. The carbonated drink the senshi called 'Pepsi,' or 'Mountain Dew,' was very good, even though he wasn't really sure how it bubbled without heat. Sometimes the fizz would catch on his nose and make him sneeze, while making him slightly giddy off of a sudden rush of sugar. Shippou liked Pepsi and Mountain Dew.

The door suddenly banged, and there was a muffled curse from outside as Shippou clambered to set aside the tray on the hall tree and unlock the closed door. Pulling it aside, Inuyasha barreled his way in with Kagome still half clinging to him, trying to disentangle herself from where she was riding on his back. Judging by the frantic expressions on their faces, something had happened. Something bad.

"Kagome? Inuyasha...?"

Kagome was headed straight for the hallway closet, flinging open the door and kneeling down, pushing her way past long, hanging trenchcoats and hauling a box out from where it had been set beside the vacuum cleaner. Turning around, Inuyasha blinked once in slight surprise at Shippou's appearance, currently confused and worried. He'd aged himself a bit, though the pointed tips of his ears and the fluffy tail easily gave him away. "Oy, why'd you change what you look like? You going somewhere?"

"No, baka, I was helping out with chores!" the kitsune snapped back, glaring up into Inuyasha's face. "What's going on? Why are you here? The others haven't gotten back from school yet. What happened?"

"I've got them!" Kagome announced, pulling items out of the box at her knees. A quiver of fletched arrows and a plain, carbon bow, currently being strung in Kagome's fingers as she stood up. "I'm so glad Setsuna-san and the others got these the other day."

"Happy now?" Inuyasha asked her, folding his arms and looking away from Shippou. "We should get going. I don't like the way outside looks."

"Inuyasha! Kagome!" Shippou repeated, getting annoyed that he was being ignored. "What's going on?"

"It's begun, hasn't it?" a soft voice interrupted from the shadows, and they saw Kami descend another step, pausing halfway down the stairs. She held the hem of her skirt in one hand, the other resting lightly on the railing. "Inuyasha-kun?"

"Karasu came to talk to me," Inuyasha replied grumpily, ears twitching in irritation at the memory of the meeting. His golden eyes flicked down somewhat towards the unusually taller Shippou, including him in the explanation. "She's got some kind of vendetta against humans, says they do all kinds of crazy shit to each other and it's their fault there aren't any youkai in this time."

Shippou popped out of his small transformation, returning to his usual age once more and dropping down to sit, folding up his legs. He had been wondering where all the youkai were. But humans killing them all off or something? Weird.

"She also tried to get the Shikon no Tama again. Damn kugutsu," Inuyasha spat, watching Kagome silently raise a hand to her throat and place her fingers over the small lump under her shirt, where the tama rested. It had been a little more than five minutes for her to get out of her school, and she argued that she had to change out of her uniform and then go to see the nurse, as well as convince the elderly lady that she actually was sick, and not faking. Fortunately, with Kagome's track record of 'sick days,' the woman didn't want to have to call an ambulance due to Kagome's appendix bursting on school grounds.

By the time Kagome was free of school and they'd gotten into the outer fringes of the Juuban district again, the sky had gone from dingy to menacing, swirls of clouds spiraling around the city and rumbling threateningly in the heavens. Lightning arched from cloud to cloud, giving off a heavy static in the air, yet no bolts of thunder cracked their way to the ground. The approaching storm was particularly strange, since it focused itself over the city. In the distance, they could see from the rooftops that there was sunlight pouring around the suburbs, shining brightly around Tokyo itself.

"We're going to go find Sango-chan, Miroku-sama and the senshi," Kagome told Shippou and Kami as she slung her bow around her shoulders, pushing back the quiver so that the strap settled lightly over her shoulder. "If there is a battle now and she's after the tama, then we should try to get to the others, too. And we don't want to destroy your house in a fight, Kami-san."

The older girl watched with wide eyes as Inuyasha and Kagome moved together again, him letting her climb up onto his back and hang on as they prepared to leave. "Mugen is a few blocks from the shopping district, ne?" Kagome asked, earning her a curt nod in reply. "Okay then. We'll head up that way and see if we can find any of the others."

Inuyasha wrapped his arms around Kagome's legs as he moved towards the door. As an afterthought, he glanced over his shoulder and looked at the two in the hallway. "Uranus said that Karasu moved out of her nest place. So she's out running around somewhere. If she knows where you live, she might come here. You'd better stay."

"But I want to help!" Shippou protested automatically, leaping up as Kami moved to the foot of the stairs, silently.

"We will."

"What?" Shippou demanded, bewildered.

Kami looked down at him quietly, lips drawn thin though she spoke to Inuyasha. "Go find the others. We will take care of Setsuna-san. Go fight Karasu."

Kagome slipped her hands around Inuyasha's neck, and the two of them exchanged an even glance for a moment, before Inuyasha took off again, heading out into the rumbling sky.

Kami hesitated a moment as the storm door banged to a close behind them. She placed her fingertips against the glass and watched them until they vanished from her sight. Distantly, she felt Shippou standing at her feet, glaring up at her for keeping him back.

"I can help fight," he argued stoutly, talking as though to convince himself. "I'm not going to be little forever."

"No. No, you won't be, will you?" Kami asked him gently, looking down with a half smile. "But it doesn't do you any good to get killed at this point, Shippou-kun. Let us protect you until you're grown up, ne?" The half smile widened slightly, sadly, and she stepped back from him a bit, back into the darkness at the foot of the stairs. She lifted her hand into the air.

"Weaver Dream Power! Make-up!"

Her silhouette filled the hallway with light, and Shippou had to shield his eyes both out of the brightness that hit them and out of a polite unease, since the form there was clothed only in light for a moment. When the lavender mist of her transformation faded away, she opened her eyes and stood there, framed for a moment in the archway to the living room, the ebony shaft of her naginata in her white gloved hand.

"I'll catch up to them eventually," Dreamweaver told him, grasping the intricate halberd with both hands and balancing its weight. "When we all fight, Setsuna-san will awaken. She will not let us fight alone. Be here to let her know what is going on, Shippou-kun. Please?"

He couldn't deny her, so he mutely looked at the floor until he saw a set of knees fall into his vision. Weaver was kneeling in front of him, and she smiled at him warmly for a moment when he lifted his head. The look in his eyes told her he would stay. "Arigatou, Shippou-kun. Arigatou."

Then she ran after the others.

* * *

Water pounded against the inside of the porcelain sink, sluicing around the edges and swirling clockwise down the drain, gurgling into the pipes. Thin hands were placed under the steady stream, and the heat made the girl wince, though she did not move away. The harshness of the water made her feel more awake, the hard heat jerking her mind away from the numbness that had settled itself over her body since that morning. The world weighed heavily on her shoulders, making her head feel muddled and thick, not quite painful, but as though she walked through clouds.

She lowered her head, and splashed the steaming water onto her face. Still dripping, she reached for a paper towel and wiped away the droplets that clung to her cheeks. A few strands of straight hair caught on the remaining dampness and clung.

Tomoe Hotaru balled up the paper and held it in her hands, looking into the mirror across from the sink in the girls' bathroom of her school. The place smelled of antiseptic, of lemon scented bleach and of a girls' flowery, cheap perfume that itched at her eyes. Nebulous and violet, they stared back at her through the chipped mirror, her dark lashes still holding some of the water on them. Had any students been left in the school, they would have wondered if she had been crying. She had not; no red blotches marred her pale face. Even now, she could hear the last of her classmates trickling away as the final bell pealed through the air. Empty. Soon everything would be empty. Empty classes, empty school, empty...empty....

The sky was cloudy through the window in her last class, forbidding and dark. She sighed, pushing at the damp hair that clung stickily to her face. The mirror that held her reflection showed nothing but herself, and as she tossed the bunched up paper towel into the trash, she reached into the pocket of her pleated skirt, pulling out the letter she had received this morning. She unfolded the sharp creases and skimmed Haruka's scratchy handwriting again, feeling a sense of unease well up as she understood the meaning.

-_Oy, Hotaru-chan,_  
_Michiru and I went to that store this morning. The moving sale was over, so I guess we were disappointed. We'll have to see if there's anywhere else with those puppets we all wanted to get._  
_Just thought I'd let you know before you and Chibiusa-chan go shopping this afternoon. Remember to look out for strangers._  
_-Love,_  
_Haruka-papa_

She'd been called down to the office that morning to pick up her 'lunch.' Which was puzzling, since Hotaru knew perfectly well that hers was sitting in the brown paper bag inside her backpack. It had been the last thing she'd done that morning, putting in a box of Kool-aid, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an apple. Being told her 'older brother' was there to drop it off, Hotaru had been worried. Telling people that Haruka was her 'papa' was likely to be more attention getting than saying she was her older 'brother,' but if Haruka-papa had stopped by to warn her- and this was clearly a warning- then things were looking bad.

Feeling ill didn't help matters any.

Queasy for most of the day, both lunches that she was stuck with went uneaten, tossed into the garbage bins in the cafeteria. The store-bought bag lunch looked too rich for her at the moment, a dark chocolate brownie to go with a tuna salad sandwich. The concept of fish made her stomach turn over, and she refolded the lined paper again, slipping it back into her pocket and taking a deep breath. She had to keep going. She could rest later. If Karasu had moved, as the note suggested, then she was out roaming. It was her job to be ready, to fight if needed, to become Sailor Saturn, one of the senshi that defended the Earth. She had to be ready, had to be ready, had to be ready....

A deep breath calmed her slightly as she tried to soothe frayed nerves. Why did the air conditioning have to be up so high today? It made everything so very cold. With the outside humidity, it was probably stuffy and warm.

The hallways were void of people, though faint sounds still murmured distantly, and there was a squeal as the intercom flicked on, announcing that the drama club would be meeting in Room 284 today for practice. Silently, Hotaru padded her way down the hall, heading back towards her last class to retrieve her books. The smell of stored chemicals in the science lab had finally gotten to her, and her teacher had been kind enough to let her go to the bathroom even if there was only a few minutes left before the final bell. They'd been studying cells today, taking bits of onion peel, staining them purple and placing them on glass slides, seeing the little boxes that made up the plant fibers of the vegetable, the dot in the center that was the nucleus. Strange, how something so small could be lit up for the human eye to see, though just a few mirrors and a strong enough lamp.

The fluorescent ceiling lights were still on, though everything had been returned neatly to storage cabinets along the far wall. Through the windows, she could see the playground behind the school through the slats of the blinds, swings idly rocking in the breeze. But her attention did not linger long on the outside. Her books were still piled where she left them in the far corner of the room, organized neatly on top of the table. The pale hand of a man was resting on top of the stack, still in the silence. He was tall, standing casually in the lab with the attitude of one who knew where he was and what to do there, professional and calm in his own element. A white lab coat was settled around his shoulders, and slightly shaggy white hair fell into his eyes, framed by a pair of sparkling round glasses.

Hotaru felt the world spin away.

"Papa?"

* * *

Another short chapter, I know- but things are happening very fast now. I know, you probably hate me with that kind of cliffhanger...patience is a virtue? ::dodges thrown tomatoes and runs::

Til next storytime.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 24: Darkly-

Aquamarine eyes flicked from one scene to another, assimiliating her choices. On one hand, Uranus was already running after the retreating form of Mimete, drawing out her Space Sword in hopes of taking it down. On the other hand, their new friends faced off against Viluy, who they had already fought, though had not defeated on their own. Sango was mounted on Kirara, the firecat making antagonized sounds towards the daimon-youkai at Viluy's heels. The houshi had brought his shakujyou out of the car as they had run forward, and had it poised for defense.

In the end, there really was no choice.

She turned and ran after Uranus.


	25. Darkly

Of This World And Yesterday

_Mikte hic at wille have,_  
_Stedefast of love, loveli trewe,_  
_Of me sorwe yhe may me saven;_  
_Ioye and blisse were eere me newe._

_(Might I have her at will,_  
_Steadfast of love, lovely, true,_  
_Of my sorrow she might save me;_  
_Joy and bliss were ever to me new.)_  
_-Medieval English Anon._

_

* * *

_

Chapter 24- Darkly

She thought she would fall forever.

The world was distant, a thing not around her or part of her, dizzying as she placed a thin hand onto the table beside her to steady herself as she reeled.

Papa.

Papa!

Papa?

_Papa...._

Such a small word brought so many different meanings with it.

Hotaru held memories of the far off past, when she was just an ordinary little girl with an ordinary little life, living in an ordinary house with an ordinary set of parents. She remembered going out on Sundays and sipping green tea and eating sandwiches in the park on a picnic, sitting under a broad leafed tree. One day they stayed so late, it became dark, and little points of light began to emerge into the twilight, blinking in the dim dusk of the sunset world. _Hotaru._ Fireflies. How pretty they were, how delicate. She reached out and one alighted on her hand, making the little girl in the lavender dress laugh and giggle with delight. A memory of being carried home remained with her sleepily, of being draped across her Papa's back and of her arms twined around his neck as they walked forward, her feet swaying where they dangled.

Her father, Tomoe Souichi, the man who saved her life so long ago by making a deal with the devil...so that she may live.

Her father, Tomoe Souichi who was gone after that, soul faded away as the demon he dealt with grew and strengthened, making him something else, something other. A puppet, a shell, a memory. Concepts like love and kindness were whittled away until all that was left was the driving force of his work; to create a superbeing, something beyond human, perhaps something like himself now. Inside him, Germatoid grew stronger, urging, feeding, corrupting.  
Hotaru became a living doll. Pretty, elegant, poised, polite.

Bloodless.

Or so it seemed. After the accident in the lab that took her father from her, little by little, she was made into a machine. The burning and injuries delivered in the explosion had damaged her, and the remaining feelings her father held made him wish to heal his daughter; bits of metal replaced joints and bones, muscle tissue fused with mechanical systems.

The kind Papa Hotaru remembered so distantly would not do such a thing. He was dead. Gone. Gone for a long, long time. The words hummed in her mind, sing-songy and sugary sweet.

_Gone away...far away...._

Would it have been better for her to die then?

A graceful death did not come to her.

Her father was dead. No daydream of peace could bring him back.

_...gone away...far away...._

It had to be unreal.

The words fell from her lips hard, choking.

"Saturn Crystal Power! Make-up!"

Deep purple light glinted off the glass beakers and test tubes in the school's rudimentary science lab. In the room's center, a figure was cleansed in light, twirling in a corporeal form, a silhouette of her soul brought forward in reality. A smooth purple stone burned between her brows for a moment as a white gold tiara slipped its way from it, cool against her warm skin.

Something heavy formed in her hands, taller than she and weighted on its end with a double blade. To look closely would reveal a reflection on its surface, if only for a moment, of the man who stood across from her. In the instant of her transformation, he stood, watching, waiting, eyes widened as her aural light shone off the rims of his glasses.

Then the Glaive swung forward, braced in Sailor Saturn's hands as she prepared to strike. There was a paleness in her face, a thinness to it and a shadowing in her dark eyes that belied weariness and struggle. She looked at him, trying to find some distinguishing mark that would make him someone else, someone faceless or someone an enemy.

Someone she could kill.

Same face.

Papa who stood across from her, eyes tinted with a look of timid hope.

"Hotaru?"

Same _voice._

The Glaive moved a fraction, tilted upwards sharply in warning.

"You are not my father." To even her own ears, the words sounded cold, hard, as icy as the rings of the planet Saturn. He had stepped forward slightly, hands uplifted and palms outward, peaceful. There was the faint sound of a footfall in the stillness as he eased back and away from her. "You're another kugutsu."

"Yes."

Her eyes narrowed marginally, trying to find what he was thinking, to chase after a course of thought.

"We all have some of her memories of us..." the man across from her was saying softly, voice sorrowful, mournful. Eyes that were gentle met hers, then looked down at the swept sepia tiles of the schoolroom floor. "I know who I am supposed to be. I carry the thoughts and actions of one called Tomoe Souichi. I am not human. I died a long time ago. And now I am an echo of that man."

The eyes lifted again, watchful of her from behind the shining round glasses.

_That man._

Not an imitation of Germatoid.

Same face.

Same voice.

Same soul?

Papa?

Papa!

Papa....

No...no, _not_ Papa. Papa was dead. Papa was _dead._ This was an imitation, a shell, a puppet that carried a handful of memories that a witch named Karasu witnessed.

_...gone away...far away...._

"I was sent here to attack you...same as with the others. She remembers how they attacked, makes us to look like enemies of your past," Souichi continued, stepping forward again, palms still outstretched and open. Saturn flinched slightly, drawing back and stiffening as though to strike. He hesitated again, though continued to speak. "But the memories she cast into them were all bad...ones of senshi and witch fighting each other. I remember...fireflies."  
The Glaive weighed so heavily in her hands, the shaft so black against the immaculate whiteness of her gloves. Faintly, faintly, there was a tremor. Faintly, her grasp loosened.

The shock of it rippled through her mind. Drop the Glaive, and the Silence will come. Speak three words, and the Silence will come. Standing across from her was the figure of a man who had tried to usher in an era of Destruction.

_...gone away...far away...._

The death of a world, or the death of a memory?

Her fingers tightened on the black shaft of her weapon.

And she screamed.

Above, there was a single figure who watched as the back of the school building was blasted out. Slowly, shafts of deep purple light lanced out from the slats of the blinds. Then the glass broke. Then the wall crumbled under the words, "Silence Glaive...Surprise!"

* * *

Karasu did not smile.

On her shoulder, a black raven cawed once in triumph, only to be silenced by a harsh slap to his beak. "Do not take delight in needless death. Be ashamed of yourself."

The bird flapped ragged wings from where he perched on the roof's ledge, sniffing irritatedly at his mistress as she came to stand beside him. Chunks of brick, stone and glass lay scattered across the schoolyard, some thrown as far as the playground beyond, where swings idled in the breeze.

She held something in her hands, an intricately carved antique music box of obsidian and gold, a black diamond crescent moon decorating the top. A crooked handle jutted out the side, a glassy black handle ready to be turned. She drummed her fingernails on the top of it, and drew a slow, deep breath. All things came to this- other plans were secondary, things to fall back upon, to ensure that her plan would work once this small, brief moment was complete, or to ensure her safe escape should she fail. Inside this beautiful, dark box was a single little figure, once defiant. She wondered how it looked now. It would be only another moment before she saw her little poppet of Sailor Saturn again, after the nightmare-givers, the Lemures, were done with it.

Below her, the school was still. Even as her kugutsu did it's duty- dying- she had been wandering the halls, silencing the few students still left inside after the last bell. Crystalized Hoste floated in the air above them. The senshi would be breaking up by now, if they hadn't already. A simple display of dark, swirling clouds that would mark scattered locations across the city. She would win by losing. No need for the kugutsu to defeat anyone. All their purpose was was to separate, to instigate, to prepare. If good came out of their current actions, so much the better. But now...she was a breath away from not needing them at all.

Unseen, she leapt off the rooftop and landed lithely in the hole the energy blast had leveled in the side of the building, as Evermore took to wing, curiosity overcoming recent annoyance with her. He alighted on her shoulder and their twin sets of black eyes swept over the scene.

Saturn knelt just inside the arch of destruction, rubble pooling around her, lapping at her knees. Chemical solvents released an acrid odor into the air, though in the school lab, there was little there that could cause a dangerous mixture. Her fingers tightened on the edges of the box, and she let her gaze fall and remain on the little girl in the middle of the debris.

Bits of vine and root and dirt were scattered around her, most in her hands, cradled gently as Karasu saw what she held so delicately. The poppet she made so long ago now, one of the man called Tomoe Souichi, Professor and owner of Mugen Academy. White hands were dirtied now as they brushed away the grime of the kugutsu's body, the clean gloves sullied by the thing's making.

Precariously, Karasu stepped slowly forward, then set down her most prized possession and opened it. Chittering sounded from within the box's depths, and inside revealed a handful of small creatures, not much larger than a fist. There was nothing immediately threatening about the things; they resembled little dustballs, or maybe hairballs. Though on closer inspection, there in the darkness, slanted, vee-shaped eyes opened, faintly aglow in shades of crimson.

One, then two...then in a small swirl, all of the Lemures trickled out of the box as she stepped back, swarming to the living, breathing version of the wax doll they had clung to.

The girl's eyes became as void as an empty sky.

Karasu released a breath she had been holding. With days of being distantly manipulated through her poppet, killing an imitation of her father had been enough to tip the small senshi's mind into an ink black haze. It wouldn't last forever, she was sure. How long was hard to say. An hour? Two? A day? The Lemures were few and weak, and the other senshi would be sure to find the girl sooner or later. But as always, time. Play for time, plan for it, be ready, be prepared.

Shikon no Tama would be brought to her.

Her primary target now lay at her feet.

She picked it up, and marveled at the heaviness of the Silence Glaive.

Such power.

From beside her, there was a faint whisper.

"_Papa...._"

* * *

Usagi could hear her own footfalls, pounding against the pavement. Steady, they were muffled sounds that were slowly gaining in rapidity as she picked up her pace, the twin golden streams of her hair beginning to take to the air as she moved swiftly forward. Worry filled her blue eyes, though her brows were drawn down in an attempt to concentrate. The gloom of the clouds was increasing, the small, swirling centers in the sky becoming more defined. Usagi never had been one for deduction, but it didn't take a genius to know that something was up, and that whatever was below those specific spots would need to be investigated. The darker the sky became, the more overcast it seemed, the more she hurried. Even though running made her feel like she was doing something, it was slower than if she had a car to transport her.

People on the street were thinning, as expectations of rain began to increase, and pedestrians without umbrellas did not want to be caught unawares. Whatever was about to happen, the young girl running was glad they would be indoors. Safer, there. At least in theory. If there was a battle, _when_ there was a battle, being out of the way would help. Without people around, the senshi would be able to fight more freely. Protecting people was foremost, but it could be hampering when there were magical attacks being hurled around. People could get in the crossfire and be hurt.

Chibiusa's school wasn't far now, the buildings and landmarks familiar. Hopefully the youngest senshi would still be there, and not already on her way home or to Hotaru's house. Dodging to one side, Usagi tucked herself into a side alley, cutting behind one of the buildings instead of in front of it. Water trickled into drains behind the narrow alley's dumpster, and the stink of rotten vegetables and garbage tinged the air. It was empty there, and few people were passing on either end of the alley. If she wanted to speed up at all, she would need to henshin.

She wrinkled her nose against the smell, then lifted her hands to the air, summoning her power.

"Silver Moon Crystal Power!"

Usagi was used to transformations by now. Still, each different level of power brought its own sensations and blossoming of energy, stronger and clearer than the previous one. The light felt soft, glowing divine as a crescent moon shimmered to life on her brows and a thousand white feathers fluttered their way around her, caressing her skin. In a moment's time, she was on her feet, stronger, steadier and faster. She opened her eyes and headed out again, her stride lengthened and swift.

Flicking open her communicator, Eternal Sailor Moon was promptly greeted by the face of Sailor Uranus.

Uranus, not Haruka.

The significance was not lost on her.

"Uranus? You okay? What's going on?"

"This isn't the time," came the sharp reply, Uranus sounding angry, though not necessarily at Sailor Moon. Her brows were drawn tensely, and her eyes continuously flicked away from the open channel. There was an unsteady movement of scenery behind her, evidence of Uranus's being in motion as she spoke. "We've met up with some problems here."

"I'm on my way to get Chibimoon. We're to meet at the old Mugen site as soon as possible. Do you need help?"

The communicator's small viewscreen conveyed Uranus's annoyed look. "We can handle it. Get the kid. She may be having problems too." Uranus' attention was suddenly drawn away and the connection was cut off abruptly.

"Uranus? Uranus!" Sailor Moon shouted, slowing her pace slightly in indecision, though continuing to head towards Chibiusa's school. Uranus and the others were fighting already. That confirmed that things were going down now. They would need her help to fight, wouldn't they? But at the same time, she had to get to Chibiusa. If things were bad for Uranus and the others, then what of Chibiusa? One of those tornado-like epicenters was precariously close overhead already. The youngest senshi couldn't fight alone. She sped up her pace again, continuing.

What kind of a queen would she be someday, if she couldn't trust her own guardians to fight for themselves?

Sailor Uranus wanted to fly forward and simply obliterate the figure standing across from her now. She knew though, that if she tried, she would end up getting a blast of magic full in the face, judging by the readiness of the opponent who had presented herself before them.

They'd been investigating the spiraling clouds of foreboding weather that afternoon. Herself, Michiru, Sango and Miroku as well as Kirara. Michiru had kept her mirror out on her lap, quietly running her fingertips along the rim and murmuring quietly the directions that would take them around Juuban. The cloud formations had worsened as the day passed, and eventually all of them had picked up on the evil energy being emitted from above. Until a few minutes ago, they had watched them without any kind of event. Speeding along in the car, they'd been forced to stop by a traffic jam. Movement wasn't just slowed at the intersection; it was dead. A few cars locked around and behind them began honking noisly, urging the people ahead to get a move on, but the stillness remained.

Then Michiru looked to her mirror, stood, and stepped out of the car.

Two figures stood amid a sparkling field of stolen Hoste crystals, cars rounded in a circle in the street from where they began their work. Two figures, familiar and already long gone.

"I, Viluy, at level 202 Death Busters...."

"And I, Mimete, at level 40 Death Busters...."

Another kugutsu of Viluy, and the new appearance of a Mimete. The two puppet figures smiled to see them come, looking the same as they had not so long ago, when they were real. Mimete still wore black and gold, her short wavy hair crowned with a glittering tiara. Viluy still wore blue and black, her hat slightly askew on her head, and the heavy bracelet that controlled her 'nano-robots' still rested on her wrist. Each held the thin golden staff of the Witches 5, the end tipped with a black star, twined inside the twisted symbol of infinity.

Nor were they alone. Two other creatures remained with them, the daimon-youkai hybrids that Karasu had been working on. Though these were not the familiar snake creatures. A large golden eagle glided overhead, keeping high and circling as it watched the people below. Beside Viluy stood a sleek feline, white and with tufted fur on its ears. A white lynx, growling low in its throat and baring sharp incisor teeth.

It was Mimete that Uranus watched across from her now, her staff upraised and ready to attack. Normally, Uranus didn't think much of the weakest of the Witches 5. One hit back at her 'concert,' and the creature had been destroyed. This Mimete was more restrained, watching as the four humans and one youkai cat had fanned themselves out around herself and Viluy. That, and the bird flapping around overhead had been continuously harassing them whenever either she or Neptune would get a clear shot of either kugutsu. The sharp talons had already shallowly scraped across her arm, which now sported two red gashes across the white flesh. Uranus was glad that Sailor Moon and the other Inners were out of school now, and free to find the other kugutsu; it could be assumed that if one was here, then there would be more underneath the other markers. At the same time, she wished they were all together. The dark energy and the cloud formations seemed like nothing more than giant, weather-driven neon signs to get them to separate. Together, they were strong. Apart....

The infinity staff Mimete held in her hand was lifted to the air as the Witch smiled. Caught on the communicator, the senshi wasn't able to pay full attention to her opponent, not able to power up an attack, and Mimete took advantage of that, preparing herself to wound or even remove the tallest of the Sailor Senshi.

"Charm Buster!"

"Submarine Reflection!"

Neptune materialized from the edges of Uranus' vision, mirror out and deflecting the energy pulse with dazzling liquid light. With Uranus watching her communicator, Neptune had turned her attentions from attacking the flying eagle youkai with Mimete to covering her partner, knowing that an opportunity would present itself eventually to their enemy. Mimete's expression had soured as her attack was turned aside, and then she had frantically leapt upward as Neptune's attack had continued to come, blowing apart her own.

Tilting her head upward, Neptune let a frown grace her features as Mimete caught ahold of the yellow feathers on the eagle's neck, slipping an arm around it and easing herself into place on its back. The bird itself was maybe twice the size of its rider, and seemed to be having no problems carrying her, winging its way higher into the sky. From behind, Neptune heard Uranus swear, and then the sound of footsteps as she gave chase, following the mocking laughter of the kugutsu.

Aquamarine eyes flicked from one scene to another, assimilating her choices. On one hand, Uranus was already running after the retreating form of Mimete, drawing out her Space Sword in hopes of taking it down. On the other hand, their new friends faced off against Viluy, who they had already fought, though had not defeated on their own. Sango was mounted on Kirara, the firecat making antagonized sounds towards the daimon-youkai at Viluy's heels. The houshi had brought his shakujyou out of the car as they had run forward, and had it poised for defense.

Sailor Neptune turned away from the battle scene, and saw the chaos that had formed out of the first few moments of their battle. Strewn cars and floating crystals, hovering idly in the air, unaware of the danger that was going on just beyond them. Who to go to? Who to help?

In the end, there really was no choice.

She turned and ran after Uranus.

As Kirara landed on padded feet, Sango saw that she and Miroku were alone in their battle. In the distance, she saw an aqua-colored form leap in and then out of her vision, disappearing into the wreck of backed up cars and the towers of tall buildings. Chaos had ensued when the battle began, people heading back up the street and abandoning their cars for the relative safety of distance. They were alone then, houshi-sama and herself, fighting off a kugutsu they had problems with before. Viluy remained the same as she remembered from the day before, though now a slender staff was in her fingers, twirled idly as the Witch smiled and played cheshire cat with the two time-displaced people. Another kugutsu. Just another kugutsu, dirt and roots around a doll in the center, a wax one in this era, shaped to look like one of these people the senshi had fought before. But they worked the same way as ones from her time. Cut through the doll within, and the puppet would be destroyed, falling apart on itself.

Sango had seen Mimete's attack, and wished it was the senshi fighting Viluy instead. They'd successfully killed her before, where she and Miroku had difficulty. The energy blast Sango witnessed the Mimete kugutsu use a moment ago could be mostly fended off by using hiraikotsu as a shield; the nano-robot imitations that Viluy wielded would chew straight through the youkai bone and hit her regardless.

She didn't blame Neptune for heading off after Uranus. In battle, things did not always go according to plan, particularly when there was no ability to prepare beforehand. Viluy's reappearance would be specifically aimed at them- Mimete's flight was a distraction to remove the two senshi from the equation, leaving Sango and Miroku open to an attack they couldn't fend off before. The space in the intersection was open, save for the stopped cars and the wires for the flashing traffic lights. In the open, all Viluy needed to do was keep them far enough away to continue shooting her attacks at them. Eventually, one would hit. With the lynx youkai at her side to round them together, it was only a matter of time before someone fell under the nano-robots.  
The two of them had fought together long enough to know how the other would react, as Viluy first raised her hand and the feline youkai leapt forward at her bidding. Its eyes were strange, glowing red around the slit pupils, while the sharpened incisor teeth stretched down father than in a normal cat, rivaling Kirara's in size, though the other feline was more slender, lighter, single tailed.

Sango went right. Miroku went left.

Kirara transformed in a ball of flame, her rider slipping into her usual position on the firecat's back as the first of Viluy's blasts tore into the space they vacated. Miroku had his own problems; the lynx had followed him, leaping upward as he managed to bring up his shakujyou to keep the sharp paws off of him. In Miroku's case, he needed space. So long as the cat kept clawing at him from an armslength away, he could not pull off the rosary and release the kazaana.

So Sango tried to find a way to distract the cat from him. Though at the same time, Viluy kept her attention on the taiji-ya, and keeping her away from her fighting partner.

Though Miroku was stuck under the weight of the cat, he was, for the moment, managing to stay upright and away from the thing. At the same time, whenever Viluy would attempt to finish off Miroku from a distance, she would suddenly find Sango coming in far too close, and would have to turn aside.  
Once again, they were in a stalemate.

This one, however, could not last for long.

Sango was aware of that fact, and so was Viluy. Each time Sango and Kirara leapt closer, dodging and leaping, Viluy was slowly working her way into an angle, pressing herself closer to Miroku and wedging herself between the front of a building and the parked cars across from it. Eventually, if Sango wanted to cover him from the kugutsu's attacks, she would have to land on one of the abandoned cars, with Viluy between her and Miroku.  
Watching as the houshi managed to toss the cat off of him, Sango saw it swipe at his legs, then leap back up before he could get a hand on the rosary. Miroku was fairly strong, having been wandering and fighting for some time now. But the oversized cat attacking him was stronger, and his arms were weakening with the constant wrestling weight placed against him, trembling. Having played and practiced with Kirara before, she knew that eventually the sheer strength of the youkai would win out. Adrenaline, fear, and determination were lending him strength at the moment, though those would not last forever.

Her attention was drawn away from Miroku when she heard Viluy's shout: "Mosaic Buster!"

A spiral of nano-robots swarmed outward, and with subconscious habit, Sango tensed her legs and shifted, ordering Kirara into the air, telling her to go left, to go up. Hiraikotsu was heavy in her hand, balanced across her shoulder and readied for a throw, should the chance present itself.

"You keep dodging, taiji-ya-san," Viluy called to her lightly, her tone falsely pleasant. Sango was tired, but she could hear a touch of anger in the kugutsu's voice as well, hinting that the Witch was having problems of her own. These kugutsu seemed to show personality, reflecting on the temperaments of the original people they were modeled on. Hearing anger in her voice, Sango was glad; that meant she was having problems as well, though still the upper hand.

"You weren't able to defeat me before. You might as well stand still and let me finish you now."  
Sango felt like telling her to go to hell.

The last attack had splattered into the cars and lamppost behind her, causing the light at the top to shatter and fall in small fragments of plastic and electric sparks. Metal was beginning to scorch, sending up an acrid, bitter odor of melting steel. With her free hand, Sango dug her fingers into the fur of Kirara's neck, holding on. They landed in the best place they could; opposite of Viluy, opposite of Miroku, still burdened with the oversized lynx.

Viluy smiled.

"Too bad, taiji-ya-san. I'll have to take out your friend first."

As the words fell from Viluy's lips, Sango had ordered Kirara into the air again, this time launching them at the outer wall of the building across from where they stood a moment ago.

Late that last night, Sango had lay awake, watching the white ceiling in the home of the Outer Senshi, wondering what could have been done in the last battle to change it. It was practice, mentally running through possibilities and modes of attack, considering and planning, since she had been unable to defeat her last opponent on her own.

Kirara hit the outside of the building, and Sango leapt forward from her back.

Falling.

Distraction would be needed to turn aside such an enemy's attention, since any strike on her part would have to be unseen. The kugutsu could then be taken out at will.

Viluy's hand was poised to fire.

However, in the more likely event of there not being a safe decoy, she would have to attack straight on. In that case, it became more dangerous.

"Mosaic Buster!"

Miroku's head lifted from wherehe stood, bracing himself against the curb behind him and locking his arms out to keep the cat from swiping him. Scratches already laced his hands, from slips and slides, and the center bar of the shakujyou was now dented with tooth marks. The last words he heard sounded different to his ears, aimed in a different direction.

His.

But something was moving between them.

Something Michiru asked Sango just that morning still echoed somewhere in the depths of her mind. It was a question she had answered simply, plainly and honestly.

_"Would you die to protect someone you love?"_

It was a complicated question with a simple answer.

Or was it a simple question with a complicated answer?

She felt herself falling, bringing back the heavy weapon with her and preparing for a throw. It would take fine timing, careful timing, to be sure that the plan she devised late last night would work. Though she hadn't expected herself to be falling into the middle of an attack at the time.

Hiraikotsu left her hand.

It was either Makoto or Minako who had said it on her first, full day there. She couldn't remember which. It was the day she smacked Miroku for acting oddly jealous when she talked to that young man at the arcade place.

_"Oh god, she's in love with him...."_

The boomerang skimmed over the surface of the attack, angling upward and beyond Viluy. An expression of shock wasn't hard to imitate. She was afraid, and how different were the two emotions? Sango was watching the nano-robots come closer, and in a moment, she knew she would be hit.  
Viluy was laughing, watching the weapon miss, fly away...far away....

Somewhere behind her, Sango heard someone shout her name.

And, content, she fell.

Miroku screamed.

The effect of the Mosaic Buster tore into Sango, the tiny swarming creatures striking her down. At the last moment, he saw her raise her hands over her face in reflex, and there was a shattering sound and a spark as one of the nano-robots hit the bracelet on her left hand, breaking it and sending gleaming chips of shining opal stone into the air. Then she was on the ground, still, crumpled.

With his attention distracted, the youkai cat he had been fighting pressed forward, knocking him down just as he saw hiraikotsu begin to spin its way back. He felt a tiny whirl of pride in him before the wind was knocked from his lungs, knowing that Sango's throw was coming back at an even trajectory, slicing through the air cleanly.

As he fell, his shakujyou skittered out of his hand.

Then he heard Viluy's scream as she was cut down from behind.

Already he could feel blood beginning to form on his chest from its claws. Despite fighting so often, he had never really thought a youkai would be the end of him. The kazaana seemed like worry enough, a constant reminder of death and oblivion. He felt like he was in a haze, his vision narrowed. Several lengths away, he could see Sango's silhouette on the concrete. Her hair pooled out behind her head, and one arm was stretched upward, while her legs were tucked together, loosely stretched out from her skirt.

He felt hot breath on his face.

Above him, he heard another roar in his ears, different somehow from the snarl of the youkai-daimon on top of him.

Familiar....

The weight of the daimon was lifted suddenly as Kirara crashed into the other cat, sending it flying off him. Still stunned on the ground, he could only hear as the two cats snarled at each other in fight, until there was a high pitched scream from one of them, accompanied with a snapping sound.  
Miroku wasn't sure how long it was before the battle was over, and he saw two red eyes appear over his face, then heard Kirara mewl questioningly down at him before turning away and disappearing.

He opened and closed his eyes several times to focus them, distantly aware that he was hurt. Kirara was standing over Sango, who lay unmoving on the ground.

Sango, who took the blow for him.

The shock of that fact woke him up, and he managed to stumble to his feet. It was his chest that was damaged, the deep blue shirt shredded across the front and tipped with blood. His skin stung; it would need to be treated soon. Still, whatever injuries he had sustained were topical compared to Sango's.

He tried to push Kirara out of the way so he could get a better look at her, slipping an arm around her neck and cradling her against him. It was the same as when Neptune had been hit only a day ago. She was pale, the imitation nano-robots standing in stark contrast to her skin. Miroku slipped a hand down her arm and held her thin wrist for a moment, before twining her hand with his. Hiraikotsu had embedded itself in the ground where Viluy had last stood, her remains scattered around the upright boomerang not far away.

Warm. She was still warm, though so very silent. He could see the fine, babylike eyelashes that rested on her cheeks, and the tiny traceries of veins on her eyelids, standing out against the blanched skin, dappled with black flecks.

No, ignore the pieces of the Mosaic.

Sango had flawless skin, white and smooth. It looked golden in the light of a campfire at night, darkening the hollows around her eyes and making her look shadowy and ethereal.

She wasn't supposed to be in danger in this time. This time presented no extraordinary threat to her. He was the one who had to return, he who had to find a way back through the destroyed well and kill Naraku to live. If anyone was supposed to meet their end in this time, it was him, not her. This was backwards. All backwards.

He sat still and held her, feeling the warmth of her cheek against his.

What had she _done?_

_Why?_

It was backwards, all backwards.

Neptune had survived, why not Sango? Why not? Uranus still had Neptune, so why couldn't he still have Sango? _Why?_

"_Because,_" somewhere in his mind echoed, "_the one with the power of death is also the one with the power of life...._"

"Hotaru!"

Destroyer. Healer. Firefly.

So close to her, he realized that there was an ever-faint stirring of breath against his cheek.

Alive. Silent, but alive.

"Kirara! We're going back to Hotaru's school!"

Within moments, they were in the air.

* * *

In the _Sailormoon_ manga, Tomoe Souichi was attempting to create what he called a 'superbeing'...basically a combination of daimon and something from this world, supposedly a human. Hotaru was, I guess you could say, a lab rat for him. After the arrival of Germatoid in this dimension, Hotaru was badly injured in the accident of his coming, and Prof. Tomoe used mechanical parts to keep her alive. In essence, Hotaru was a cyborg at that point in the manga.  
dodges more tomatoes This isn't exactly a cliffhanger- and yet it is, in another sense. Like I've said, things are going very fast at this point. These chapters happening within the space of an hour or so. Many things are happening at once. Remember several chapters ago, way back towards the beginning, I asked if anyone could guess whose poppet Karasu put inside the box of mirrors?  
It was Hotaru.  
For this chapter, I was listening to Delerium's _Karma_ cd, and to the soundtrack to _Lord of the Rings._  
Til next storytime.

~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 25: Spiral-

"My granddaughter?" Grandpa Hino asked, frowning at the ruby eyed woman, who was still making her way across the courtyard, the two canines tailing her distantly. "Who are you?"

"An old friend," came the coy reply, and Grandpa and Jii-chan exchanged a wary look. The woman was unsettling. "We met a few months ago, at Mugen Academy, before it closed. Are you her grandfather?"

"I am."

In the womans' hand was a staff, thin and of yellow gold, the tip twisted and holding a black star. She held it aloft with a venomous smile and said, "Then you'll do." Dark energy began to shimmer around the staff, setting it alight. "_Fire Buster!_"


	26. Spiral

Of This World And Yesterday

_...the roots go down and the plant goes up and no one really knows how or why...._  
_-Robert Fulghum, All I Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 25- Spiral

The battle was already in motion.

Sailor Moon's imminent arrival would not be enough to stall an attack. In fact, it made it safer, particularly since the youngest of the senshi often seemed like the weakest, the most easily removed from the fight. She was also alone, a little pink-clad form standing in front of her school with her own scepter in hand, currently pirouetting as a tangle of vines snaked their way through the air, ends reaching for her.

Sailor Chibimoon considered the woman across from her. Walking out of school as the bells began to ring, she'd been saying good-bye to her friends, insisting that she had to leave, since she was expecting to meet Hotaru soon. She didn't want to tell them that the spiraling cloud formations overhead sent the skin on the back of her neck prickling with negative energy, and that she hadn't eaten more than an apple at lunch due to nerves. No messages had made their way to her during the day, though she wasn't surprised. If anyone would be warned, it would be Usagi and the Inners, and probably Hotaru since it was her 'parents' doing the reconnaissance that morning and afternoon. She'd hear about things from Hotaru-chan as soon as they met up after classes were out.

Instead, the dark sensations crackling through the air manifested themselves in the figure across from her now. The bell had rung, she had walked out of the building, and then came an eruption of screams as heavy, jungle vines began to tear up through the pavement, scattering kids in several directions; some ran back into the school for safety, while others escaped across the parking lot in full flight. Sending Momo and Kyusuke back inside ahead of her, Chibiusa slipped away as they frantically headed back towards their classroom and shouting teachers. Sirens were splitting the air inside, since someone had set off the fire alarm. Chibimoon groaned internally. Getting a ring of firetrucks into this battle was not needed.

"Stop right there!"

The familiar figure paused where she stood, glancing bemusedly at the defiant little figure presenting herself as an opponent. Chibimoon, though, remembered exactly how her first battle with Tellu had happened. Before then, she had no weapon to call on...and then her own Moon Scepter had formed out of her Luna-P, and she had attacked for the first time. Her first Pink Sugar Heart Attack had shifted the Witch's form, and then a well placed Dead Scream had finished her off. The question this time was how to attack? Her powers had adapted and grown since their last battle with Nehelenia...though could she use a Meditation without a Kaleidoscope? Or should she try the same method as Sailor Moon herself? A Therapy Kiss?

"How dare you attack this school and place of learning! I am the pretty sailor suited soldier of love and justice...Sailor Chibimoon! And in the name of the future Moon, I will punish you!"

From the distance, Chibimoon could tell that the kugutsu of Tellu was exact- the same light green hair, pulled up into loose odango on the sides of her head, the same sharp green eyes and the same, flowerlike black dress. The same weapon. All duplicated exactly.

The voice that came from her mouth was also the same, light and somewhat sarcastic, haughty. "Don't you think you're a bit small for playing battle games, chibi? I, Tellu, at Level 404 Death Busters, shall defeat you."

She lifted up a hand, and Chibimoon tried to see exactly what she was commanding. A tallish plant stood behind her, rooted deeply into the ground, breaking up the grass of the lawn in front of the elementary school. Large, red blossoms had opened on the plant's top, while broad leaves had spread their way out around the base. It was unlike anything Chibimoon had ever seen, slender yet warped, twisted around the stalk where the leaves grew. Vaguely, it resembled the soul-stealing Tellun plants the real Tellu had once tried to sell, though the leaves were blank of the oddly geometric designs the Tellun had. At Tellu's signal, there was a faint brightness around the red petals at the top, and she saw ribbons of vines break out from the grass at her feet, trying to entangle her.

So she turned, bringing around her scepter and trying to choose the best place to hit. Tellu at this stage was too well protected. If she was going to use that overgrown houseplant as some kind of weapon first, then it would be that she had to remove from the fight.

What attack to try? Pink Sugar Heart Attack? Moon Gorgeous Meditation? Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss?

And where to aim?

Tellu would see her power up, and block. The plant itself...who knew what its capabilities were? If she shot at it, would it simply absorb the energy and feed on it?

A couple weeks ago in school, they had tried a science experiment. They planted seeds in styrofoam cups, watering them and keeping them in sunlight, watching them grow. Though it was important for the plant above the soil's surface to have light, the roots below needed to be watered to survive as well. Nutrients also came from below. If that were true, then would it be possible to destroy the plant at its source? Whatever she chose, it would have to be strong enough to get rid of the roots in one blow. Who knew when help would arrive?

She leapt into the air to avoid another tangle of roots from below, though one of them anticipated her, snaking up around her boot and tensing, sending her crashing down. It was only an instant before two more had climbed up around her arms, and she strained against them, trying to bring up her scepter, while keeping an eye on the smirking Tellu.

Then Chibimoon smirked back.

Cresting the corner that led to Chibiusa's school, Sailor Moon watched as the representative of the future Moon went crashing down to the ground, vines shooting forward and climbing over her. She barely had time to build a scream in her throat before she saw Chibimoon get her scepter in the air, then suddenly flip it over, intricate, decorated side down, and aim for the ground.

_"Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"_

Opalescent cherry light bloomed upward from where she knelt, a bubble of bright light encompassing the girl for a moment, washing out her form inside. Tellu had thrown her hands up over her face to ward it off and protect her eyes. Then she realized what was going on. Her own plan of sprouting up from below and attacking had just been anticipated. The more shallow roots were evidence of that, as the pink light of Chibimoon's attack shot up through them, tearing up the ground to the source.

She watched as it was enveloped in light, then crumbled to dust.

From where she was running forward, Sailor Moon was trying not to cheer. That was _her_ daughter that just killed an evil, rampaging plant all by herself. But Tellu was still standing. Time for her to step in. The Moon Tier formed in her outstretched hands, and she took her place to the side, as Chibimoon stood, freed of her restraints.

"How dare you attack Sailor Chibimoon! For that, I will never forgive you!"

Raising her hand to the air, she prepared herself for battle, summoning her power for a straightforward blast.

"I'm getting tired of you senshi and your stupid speeches," Tellu sniffed, angling herself so that she could watch both Chibimoon and Moon at once. She swiveled between the two, then saw that Sailor Moon was still bringing her weapon to bear. "Mandragora Buster!"

Her blue eyes widened as she began to speak the words of her attack, abruptly cut off as Tellu's raced out ahead of her, still poised from the throw. She heard Chibimoon screaming at her, and somehow knew she was also preparing another blast of her own.

Black streamed across her vision, and she felt herself flung down and covered as the emerald energy of Tellu's flew overhead, skimming along the air she had just emptied. Tuxedo Kamen was half sprawled, half kneeling, trying to get to his feet and pull her up at the same time.  
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon sighed in relief, glad that Mamoru was there, though reminding herself not to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him for the last moment rescue. He was so good at those.

Chibimoon was ready. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

Another stream of cherry colored light flowed outward from Sailor Chibimoon, striking Tellu with little warning, since she was still facing the rescued Sailor Moon. As a kugutsu, her reaction to being hit was similar to the real Tellu's; she began to change form, expanding and growing, grotesque, limbs contorting into new shapes, of dirt and vines, not an unusual element for the plant user of the original Witches 5.

Tuxedo Kamen stepped aside, letting Sailor Moon present herself to finish the fight.

With a flourish, she twirled the Moon Tier in her fingers, batonlike, then aimed. "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

Silver light mingled with pink, swirling together and spiraling upward, consuming the charging, pulsing remains of Tellu. There was a cracking sound from inside the thing, and the makeshift body crumbled, revealing a tiny wax figure inside, which snapped, clattering to the ground.

Tiny cheers sounded up behind them, and the three figures on the schoolyard lawn turned to see people crouching in the windows of the school, teachers and young students who were too curious to keep themselves from watching the battle.

Sailor Moon smiled and waved, earning a louder cheer, and several more heads to pop up from below the sill. She giggled and waved again.

Sighing, Chibimoon edged away from the school, trying to keep herself at an angle, and wishing Sailor Moon wouldn't do that...this was her school after all. She may be transformed, but getting recognized by her friends wouldn't help matters at this point. She knew most of the kids waving, and thought she saw Kyusuke and Momo in one of the classrooms.

Fortunately, Tuxedo Kamen also seemed to be aware of the attention. "We need to go...."

"Right," Sailor Moon agreed, winking one last time at their audience as she turned to leave. "We're headed towards the old Mugen site. Chibimoon, will anyone notice you missing?"

"Probably not," the pink haired girl shot back as she fell into step alongside the elder Moon and Tuxedo Kamen. "Everyone scattered when the attack began. Some took off across the parking lot and headed into the city. I'll say I went that way too. Hopefully my friends will believe...Hotaru!"

Chibimoon skid to a halt, then spun backward wildly. "Hotaru-chan! She'll be waiting for me! We have to go back for her!"

"She's probably already on her way towards Mugen," Sailor Moon mused as she slowed a step to wait for Chibimoon. "I contacted Uranus already. It won't take long for word to spread."

"The cloud formation in this area is dispelling," Tuxedo Kamen remarked as he glanced skyward, waiting for the two girls under his care. Quickly looking around the rest of the Tokyo's skyscape, he tried to see how many there were in total at the moment. Buildings rising slowly around them blocked some of the view, though there was another swirl not far away that matched the one above them; it looked unraveled, like a string cut loose. "If these are markers for the locations of the kugutsu, then at least one other has also been destroyed."

"Probably Uranus," Sailor Moon told the worried Chibimoon as she followed Tuxedo Kamen's gaze. "She and Neptune were fighting when I contacted her. They must have taken theirs out already."

Agreeing slowly, Chibimoon nodded, pigtails bobbing in the rising wind. If Uranus and Neptune were already with Hotaru, then things were probably fine. As Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen began to run again, she followed them, but for some reason couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to go back.

* * *

There was a certain calm in the steady motion of sweeping, of the end of the broom flicking over the stone surface of the courtyard, sending dust and a few stray green leaves into neat piles. The foul weather worried Grandpa Hino, the forbidding appearance of the sky giving him the creeps. Still, he shook it off, telling himself to be practical. He had guests to think of, and worrying the Higurashi's wasn't something he wanted to do. They'd come to his home a couple days ago, saying their shrine had been the victim of some graffiti and destruction, asking to stay there while it was cleaned up and some security was installed. A shame that a shrine could be attacked in such a way. They deserved a bit of peace after that, and he hoped that at the Hikawa Jinja, they'd find it for awhile.

Higurashi Jii-chan was sweeping not too far away, brushing is own side of the courtyard into a somewhat scattered pile of twigs and leaves and dust. It did make things easier, to have help. Even now, he could pick up a faint scent of oden beginning to waft from the house. Rei would cook every once in awhile, though usually he took care of the kitchen so she could study, do her own chores, meditate, or be with her friends. Mama Higurashi was an excellent cook he discovered, last night's dinner being savory and fine.

"This weather is making my bones ache," the other man called to him, rubbing his elbow as though pained. "You almost done, Hino?"  
"I'll get the garbage in a minute," Grandpa sighed, glancing at the afternoon's work on the ground. At least he didn't have to make food as well. Rei would be on her way home by now, and Higurashi's grandson Souta. It was too bad the older grandchild, Kagome, decided to stay with friends instead. Rei was a bit older than Kagome would be, but it would have been interesting for the two of them to have met. "Still have to get the backyard, but this'll be enough for today. If it rains, this'll turn into a soggy mess."

"Ah yes, the rain, blessed from the heavens shall pour down on the earth and make everything grow...." Jii-chan began, making Grandpa grin wryly and look down at the ground. He'd almost forgotten how wrapped up old Higurashi could get in his spirits and folklore. Grandpa already felt like he knew as much 'history' about the Higurashi Jinja as he did his own. Jii-chan felt compelled to compare the two of them as soon as he noticed a difference.

In the warm humidity, the wind blew cold, snatching at two leaves and sending them skidding across the ground. With a sigh, Grandpa chased after them and caught them on the end of the broom, preparing to put them back into the rest of the pile. But before he could, he glanced over towards the shrine's entrance and saw the figure of a woman crest the steps, looking around and then stopping when she noticed the elderly men caring for the shrine.

"...rain is always beautiful, and the stormclouds overhead remind me of the time when I was a boy and my own grandfather told me about when...."

"Ojii-san!" the woman called out, interrupting Higurashi's rambling historical account. Grandpa Hino had already paused, holding his broom lightly and waiting for the woman to come closer. There was something eerie about her, the way she carried herself and dressed. High heels and a crimson halter top and pants, with some kind of black, pleated skirt on top of it. It was odd clothing for any time of year. "Is this the Hikawa Jinja?" the woman continued, walking forward with clicking heels. A small smile was playing on her red lips, and Grandpa took a step back as two canine forms appeared a length behind her, silently trotting forward on small paws. They were sleek and black, carrying themselves low to the ground as though hunting, with golden, glowing eyes and small snouts. Jackals? Grandpa shook his head. That was ridiculous. They had to be some breed of dogs, mutts maybe. "I'm looking for a Hino Rei. Is she in?"

"My granddaughter?" Grandpa Hino asked, frowning at the ruby eyed woman, who was still making her way across the courtyard, the two canines tailing her distantly. "Who are you?"

"An old friend," came the coy reply, and Grandpa and Jii-chan exchanged a wary look. The woman was unsettling. "We met a few months ago, at Mugen Academy, before it closed. Are you her grandfather?"

"I am."

In the woman's' hand was a staff, thin and of yellow gold, the tip twisted and holding a black star. She held it aloft with a venomous smile and said, "Then you'll do." Dark energy began to shimmer around the staff, setting it alight. "_Fire Buster!_"

The two elderly men were barely able to move before a column of fire blazed its way out from the woman's hands, sweeping in towards them and filling the air with the smell of char and ash, tinged with pungent sulfur.

"_Fire Soul!_"

A second wave of flames tore out from the wavering trees, blossoming out in front of the first column and rose high, swirling forward in a cross, catching the first blast in its own blaze, absorbing the fire but sending the guarding firewall spluttering and roaring upward as they clashed. Ribbons of fire snaked out from the base, as the Fire Buster began to crack through the makeshift defensive attack.

From where they stood, hands over eyes to protect them from the heat, Grandpa and Jii-chan watched a new figure emerge, standing on their side of the flames. Long, raven black hair fell around her waist, and she turned to face them, a look of alarm on her shadowed features. Over the roar of the fires, she called to them, "Are you all right?"

"Y...yes...." Grandpa called back, not sure if he should step away or see if the unexpected arrival needed help. What kind of help he could give, he didn't know, but there was an oddly familiar feel to the determined stance the girl was taking. "We're fine!"

"Then get into the house! Stay there until it's silent! Call the fire department as soon as it gets quiet! Now go inside!" the girl commanded, and when the two men hesitated, still stunned, she repeated, in a louder voice, "Now!"

As they turned and fled, Sailor Mars brought her attention back to fighting.

It hadn't taken her long to realize that one of the weather phenomenon in Juuban was centered over her home. Seeing that the clouds swirled darkly there, she transformed and rushed ahead, arriving in time to see Eudial throwing a Fire Buster straight at her and Kagome's grandfathers.

The Fire Buster finally broke through, weakened with its fight with her Fire Soul, and spluttered halfway across the jinja, burning out before it reached the house and the fleeing figures of two Shinto priests. As the blaze flickered down, Sailor Mars stepped into the gap in the flames, poised for battle.

"How dare you attack this sacred place, endangering people I care about! With the blessings of the planet of fire and war, Mars, Sailor Mars!"

The response was calm. Her opponent brought down her staff from the air, and Mars noticed that she was not alone. Two animals were with her, low to the ground and growling. More daimon-youkai hybrids, canids of some kind. Not wolves or hyenas, but not domesticated enough to be dogs. "And I, Eudial, at Level 78 Death Busters, shall defeat you."

Mars tensed as she prepared herself to take on another Fire Buster. She had successfully fought with the real Eudial before; Sailor Moon had finished her, but if this Eudial- more than likely another kugutsu- had similar strength levels, a Flame Sniper should be strong enough to finish her off, in theory.

The kugutsu lifted a hand instead.

At the order, the two jackals leapt forward at once from her sides, fangs bared as the sleekness of their bodies grew muscular, warping in the heat around them.

One Flame Sniper could not take out two daimon, coming in from different directions. It would fly between them at worst, or take out one at best. She switched directions.

"Fire Soul!"

Aimed at the ground, the stones of the courtyard exploded under the close range of her attack, shooting upward and cascading back down in a hail of melting rock, forcing the two canines to veer to the sides. Behind her, she heard a sudden screech, and as one of the jackals switched directions and aimed at her again.

Twin black streaks streamed past Sailor Mars, sharp talons extended.

"Phobos! Deimos!"

The recovered jackal swerved, yelping in sudden pain as the two crows teamed up against it, one pecking from behind as the other swept in towards the eyes, clawing and scratching to keep it away from their mistress.

Where was the other? Mars spun in time to see it leap upward through the last of the falling rubble, paws extended and fangs bared. She lifted a hand to aim, drew breath to shout. But she was beaten to it by a familiar voice.

"Venus Love-me Chain!"

A golden line of glowing hearts shot out, wrapping themselves around the neck of the snarling creature and suddenly jerking it backward with a yelp. Landing, it swiveled, and followed the leash back to the source, the blond haired and red ribboned Solider of Love, braced for a tug of war with the daimon.

"Dammit...." Eudial snarled, turning to see what had interrupted the fight. Seeing Venus' arrival, she began preparations for another attack, only to hear Mars' sharp voice cut through the smoky air.

"Eudial! I'm your opponent!"

A bow of fire had appeared in her hands, and an arrow of flame was strung through it, poised and aimed for the imitation of one of the Witches 5. With Phobos and Deimos handling one of the jackals on their own, and Venus there to occupy the second of the pair, that left Eudial free for her to finish. She was stronger now.

Black arches of light were crackling to life around the star tipped staff, laced with tongues of flame, strengthening as Eudial readied herself, turning back to Mars and assessing the situation. Her brows drew down over determined ruby eyes. Then she leapt forward, racing along diagonally as Mars reacted an instant later, keeping the arrow of fire ready for flight. The kugutsu knew where she was standing. Grandpa and the Higurashis were inside the house, and she was aware that her home was precariously close to the fighting area behind her. Eudial was was trying to get around her, closer to her home to apply pressure and distraction. Mars tried to keep herself ahead and in front of her home.

A Fire Buster against a Flame Sniper.

Fire against fire.

With the senshi separated, there was no Mercury or Neptune nearby to cancel out the flames with a watery strike. If she failed to deflect a volley from Eudial, both her grandfather and Kagome's family could be killed. She would have to watch for the moment Eudial was ready and attack first, to get through to her before their powers clashed.

Eudial suddenly stopped and turned, the energy around her staff built up and strong.

Still half a heartbeat behind, Mars' eyes widened as she watched Eudial spin and take aim. She leapt forward, beginning both her retaliation and defense. "Mars...."

"Fire Buster!"

"...Flame Sniper!"

Placing herself between her home and Eudial, she closed her eyes.

And released her arrow.

Sailor Venus felt the wave of heat before she realized what was happening across from where she stood in the jinja's courtyard. Light blossomed outward, and the scent of char intensified in the thick air around her, making it hard to breathe. Still struggling against the weight of the jackal daimon, both she and the creature flinched away as the two blasts of fire impacted each other, creating a fireball between the two antagonists. In the air, Venus saw two small, dark specks soar out of the red glow of fire, taking to the skies.

Eudial's column of flames met Mars' arrow at midpoint between them, colliding and creating a fireball that seemed uncertain which way it wanted to go. It was a long instant as the arrow disappeared into the center of the larger pillar of flame, leaving a churning trail of smoke in its wake. Venus' eyes watered as she tried to remember to hold on to her chain, though at the moment it was slack with lack of resistance. Her own opponent seemed as alarmed over the fire as she was, taking small, darting steps back and forth between the senshi holding it and the fireball consuming a quarter of the stone yard.

Then, the flames collapsed in on themselves, and from the center of the blaze, a single pointed ray shot out, the fire behind it curling around the arrow's fletching. The single arrow had absorbed Eudial's attack, and was now turned against her, piercing the false body's chest.

The kugutsu's scream was muted in the roar of the fire, sweeping through her body and reducing it to ashes.

In her hands, the Love-me Chain faded away as Venus watched Mars take a half-step forward, then sigh heavily in relief, shoulders slumping a bit as she cast a furtive glance at the building behind her. Faces were pressed in the windows, two elderly males and one middle aged female, wide eyed and with hands pressed to their mouths. Abruptly, Sailor Mars turned away, hoping they wouldn't look too closely at her face. Waves of heat still rippled the air, and she stepped forward uncertainly, glancing around. Tinges of fire flickered at the end of the stones, the humidity in the air dampening the grass and keeping it from alighting easily. Stopping, she looked at her feet and saw a small puddle of melted wax, black and red paint droplets staining it in colors. Looking up, she saw Phobos and Deimos begin to swing backward, claws out again as they dove for the remaining enemy, the single jackal that was now sniffing the ground frantically not far from where she stood.

It had come to a stop over a long, black char mark on the ground, an armslength from the lawn. As the two crows screeched inward, it snapped at them, standing on top of the ash and snarling upward at them, golden eyes glowing furiously.

"Mars! Call off your birds!"

Surprised, Mars blinked and looked at Sailor Venus as she hurried over, watching the canine defending itself. She frowned at the soldier of Love and lifted a hand. With the kugutsu reduced to ash and wax, this wouldn't take long to complete. "What? I'm going to finish it off now, before it hurts anyone."

"There were two of them when I got here, right?" Venus pressed, lips drawing thin as she looked at the youkai creature fighting the crows.

"Yes, why?" Mars sighed in irritation.

"I think you just obliterated that one's mate."

Another snarl and a yelp of pain sounded as wings flapped in the jackal's eyes, while a sharp beak pecked at a muscular shoulder. Phobos darted away into the air as Deimos circled around and out of the way, preparing for another run at the creature. In the fireball's blaze, the birds had escaped upward. Though the daimon-youkai did not have the ability to take to the air, it ran. The intensity of the flames had overtaken it, swallowing it as they warred.

And all that was left was ash.

"Phobos! Deimos! To me!" Sailor Mars lifted her hands as she called to them, and silently, they stopped their attack, gliding to the red clad senshi and alighting on her wrist and shoulder, flapping their wings and cawing as they flicked their gazes between senshi Mars and the growling enemy that stood over the remains of her partner. Mars glanced at Venus, and saw how pale she looked. "We can't just let it roam around. It'll hurt someone. It is a daimon."

"I know..." Venus replied, softly but with worry. "It can't live without its mate...." She stepped forward slightly, raising her fingers to her lips as she prepared herself for an attack. "I...I'll do it."

There was a half start and another yelp from the jackal, ending in a snarl as the blonde hesitated, then took a breath. "Venus..."

Instinctively, the youkai knew it was under attack, and leapt forward to fight.

"...Love and Beauty Shock."

Golden light struck the creature, sending it reeling backward, collapsing as a shudder rippled through its body. It writhed for a moment, then, on the edge of the ash, lay still.

"It really doesn't seem fair."

Mars looked at Venus as she straightened up. "Letting something like that roam around Tokyo to kill people? Venus, we need to get going. Grandpa's going to come out any second. I don't want to take any chances."

"I know. We're going to Mugen," Venus told her as they turned, falling into step and picking up stride as the two crows accompanied them overhead, rising on the magically warmed currents of wind. "But it still doesn't seem fair."

"You're worried about a couple of daimon?"

Venus glanced at her and shrugged noncommittally as they leapt down the steps, heading into Juuban. The spiral of clouds overhead unwound, the blackness fading into a sickly grey, swirling into the rest of the cloudcover. Softly, under her breath, Venus replied, "No. I was worried about a couple of youkai...."

* * *

Sorry this chapter didn't pick up right where chapter 24 left off- remember how fast everything is happening at this point. Miroku and Sango on Kirara are still en route to Hotaru's school. Ah, but will she be able to help when they get there? dodges even more tomatoes I know, I'm being cruel, aren't I? Don't worry, they're back next chapter.  
I've tried to keep a balance between _Inuyasha_ and _Sailormoon _universes in the fic- Inuyasha and Kagome got their own chapter a couple chapters back, and the way this worked out, this was the senshi's turn for their own chapter- though Jii-chan made a cameo, didn't he?  
Manga Chibimoon is also stronger than anime Chibimoon. 'Pink Sugar Heart Attack' actually _damages_ stuff in the manga, where it's almost a joke in the anime. Grandpa Hino also looks different- he's not the weird looking eechi chibi-man like in the anime.  
So til next storytime.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next,in Chapter 26: Breathe-

"Saturn, I need your help." He lifted his eyes from Sango's slack face to look at the empty expression on the senshi's. "Saturn, Sango was hurt the way Neptune was yesterday. Another kugutsu of Viluy appeared, and we fought her. She's not looking very well..." he mananged, surprised at how thick his voice sounded. He squeezed his eyes shut against the encroaching blackness in his vision, and tried to keep himself awake....


	27. Breathe

Of This World And Yesterday

_"Death is still part of the process...."_  
_-David Brin, Earth_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 26- Breathe

The air was cold, rushing through winds that swept through the lofty towers of the city. It chilled the two passengers on the back of a flying firecat, not exactly a typical sight to be seen in the late afternoon of what was not exactly a typical day. Sango had begun to shiver a few minutes into their journey, and Miroku didn't know what else to do for her so high up. He readjusted his grip on her, tightening a fist in Kirara's mane, and urged the youkai to hurry. It was strange riding lead. Usually he would sit behind Sango with his shakujyou around her waist, to keep a respectable distance from the taiji-ya's rather enticing backside. Now though, she was still ahead of him, but not riding, draped across Kirara's neck and braced up by his arm.

Her skin was growing whiter, pale, translucent, and he could see the weblike structures of the Mosaic Buster taking effect under her skin. Slowly, they were spreading, darkening into a netlike patchwork. If the conclusions that he, Shippou and Chibiusa had arrived at the previous afternoon were accurate, then the Mosaic was actually some kind of organic attack, based off the material the kugutsu was made of instead of what the real Viluy would have used- metal.

A heavier shiver wracked her body. It was cold that was making her worse- it had to be. He was cold as well. It made sense. She was just cold from the temperatures this high up, and of the swirling clouds above. She wasn't in shock. She couldn't go into shock. He wouldn't allow that.

Pain was blended with a sense of forbidding panic. Miroku hadn't escaped from the encounter unscathed either, and he had to focus his mind to keep it clear from a tunneling blackness. The point he chose to focus on was finding Hotaru's school, attempting to push aside the fog that was beginning to accumulate in the recesses of his thoughts. He remembered sitting wedged in the back of Haruka's sports car in the school's parking lot earlier in the day, while the blonde haired senshi had taken in a lunch to Hotaru, including a coded message about the current situation. If he had been there once, then he had to be able to find it again. The concept and possibility of Hotaru's having already left the place did not cross his mind. She was there. He needed her to be there, so she would have to be there. Instead of worrying and letting his mind wander, he latched onto that single purpose: find the school, find Hotaru. Find Hotaru, heal Sango. It was simple, really.

Kirara had an innate sense of direction, particularly when she needed it, as she did now. The buildings were no more confusing than naturally occurring mountains, and she tried to steer them around the skyscrapers, which eventually leveled off into more residential areas. Smells cascaded into each other in a melting mess, not allowing her to trace her way back that way, once she picked up on the general idea Miroku was trying to get across to her. They'd retraced their path from before the attack began, at least until the buildings blurred and began to look the same. Fortunately, more people were heading indoors due to the muggy weather, and her height in the air kept most people from noticing. Few looked up. Those who did blinked in surprise and confusion, mouths agape as they tried to discern what it was they just saw flying overhead.

A long, flat building eventually came into view, with green grass hemming the stone structure and trees swaying in the breeze. As Kirara lowered them, descending, a swirl of relief rippled through Miroku. That was it. The school. The same wide parking lot with yellow stripes to mark places to leave the car on the ground, with the flagpoles in the front...the place was empty of cars now, and the flags had been taken in, though no people were moving around the campus, the place still and silent. Skimming along the surface of the air, Miroku saw a blown out place in the back of the building, evidence of one of those strange bomb creatures or of some kind of battle. Images of himself running inside the school and shouting for Hotaru left, as he realized there had been a fight here. Kirara was already heading for the destroyed section of the building, heading lower as Miroku leaned forward to see what had happened.

Glass caught at the dimly provided light, fragmented edges glinting rather than shining among broken bricks, littering the ground at his feet. A large hole had been blown in the side of the building, leaving twisted bits of metal roof support beams jutting out at odd angles, like gnarled fingers. What had once been a schoolroom was decimated, and Miroku could make out what appeared to be tables blown back to the further wall, which managed to remain intact. The blast had been aimed outward then, this way, judging by the long stream of debris trailing out from the buildings' outer wall. Inside, a fluorescent ceiling lamp pulsed once, then flickered and died, sending sparks down to the ground where the glass had been shattered.

Within the torn archway, there was a little figure sitting beside one of the larger chunks of brick and cement, shoulders slumped where she knelt, hands in her lap and holding a small object. Her short, straight hair slanted against her chin, contrasting sharply to the whiteness of it, veiling her face from his view.

"Saturn! Sailor Saturn!" Clumsily, Miroku slid off of Kirara's back, trying not to drop Sango's limp weight. He straightened himself up, and began to make his way around the debris, glad of the thick soles of the modern shoes. Glass and sharp stones crunched underfoot, and he heard them. The threads of the Mosaic under Sango's skin were thickening, and the space between was turning from white to a sickly yellow color, tinged with purple. Dropping to his knees, he carefully laid her out between the two of them, tucking her close to avoid the scattered rubble, and hoping nothing sharp was below her while he supported her head.

Then he looked at the still form of Sailor Saturn, and saw the silent expression that graced her features. Empty eyes stared sightlessly at her hands, resting on the hem of her layered skirt, white gloves against deep purple cloth, cradling a broken wax figure, a little replica of a man with light grey hair, wearing a long white coat. A poppet, like the one Sango had destroyed of Viluy.

Before he could wonder why she held it so gently, a bit of motion on her wrist caught his eye, a little cloud of dust, which opened a pair of slanted vee shaped eyes, glowing scarlet and standing out against the little girl's gloves. Miroku didn't know what the thing was, but the visibility of the thing made him shudder, the dark nature of the thing repellent. It made a faint chittering sound, then moved, sliding from Saturn's wrist over onto Sango's side as though attracted there. Alarmed, he slapped it away, first noticing what it landed against.

An elaborate box had been abandoned not even an armslength from the Sailor Senshi, an intricate box of obsidian and gold, a black diamond crescent moon decorating the top. A crooked handle jutted out the side, a glassy black handle ready to be turned. Inside the beautiful, dark box was a single little figure, once defiant. Now it was warped, twisted, fallen. Color had been applied to the poppet, but now the brilliant purples and reds were melded together, bruised and mottled. Out of that box emanated such a subtle evil aura Miroku was barely able to notice it. But once his attention focused on the thing, he flinched away, drawing Sango along with him on impulse to escape it. It was only the sound of shifting rocks that stopped him, not wanting to drag her over anything and worsen any injuries.

The chittering noises were growing louder, and looking at Sailor Saturn again, he counted more of the dusty, scarlet eyed creatures settled on her; they hovered on her shoulders and on her lap. One clung to her hair while the one Miroku slapped away slithered back towards the girl.

Whatever the things were, they needed to be eliminated. Smacking one of them off her had done little good, as it was back and again and clinging to her wrist, watching Miroku with wary eyes. He began to search his pockets, trying to find anything of use. The black pants Mamoru had purchased for him a couple days ago were useful in the sense he could carry things in the pockets, though they got bunched up and rumpled. After a moment, he produced one, somewhat battered ofuda. Smoothing it between his fingers, he took a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

He placed it on her hands.

A charge sizzled the air, and he could smell the things as they disintegrated, making thin, reedy screeching noises as they turned to dust, putting off a sulfuric stench and a swirl of smoke.

"Saturn? Sailor Saturn?"

Nothing.

Miroku's lips drew thin as he considered the young senshi, who watched what she held with darkened eyes. He wished he knew what those things were, what they did, but there was no one to ask now. The poppet in the box remained; he grabbed it and snapped it in half, hoping that the destruction of the twisted figurine would have an effect.

She remained still.

"Saturn? Can you hear me?"

Silence.

Miroku grit his teeth, trying to think what else he could do. The box itself was all that remained of the negative force...alone, without those strange creatures, it was weaker. The poppet of Saturn was destroyed, and an ofuda lay on top of the one she cradled in her hands. Why would she stay in the silence of the spell? What kept her there? Could she even hear him when he called? She had to be all right....

"Saturn, I need your help." He lifted his eyes from Sango's slack face to look at the empty expression on the senshi's. For the last few days, he had heard about the senshi; from themselves, mostly, picking up on conversations and listening when they replied to his questions. He didn't know exactly what to make of some of the stories- they were beyond his experience, people living on the moon and on the wandering stars in the sky. But he could understand the closeness that a team could develop. Of something that transcended the boundaries of time, and of a reliance on each other, even if he didn't want to admit it. "Saturn, Sango was hurt the way Neptune was yesterday. Another kugutsu of Viluy appeared, and we fought her. She's not looking very well..." he mananged, surprised at how thick his voice sounded. He squeezed his eyes shut against the encroaching blackness in his vision, and tried to keep himself awake.

Just a little longer. Just a little longer, and Saturn will wake up and fix things...then sleep. There's a clearer spot just inside, just beyond, where there's no rubble. He could sleep there, inside. Inside, safe inside with Sango. "She's not looking very well," he repeated, taking a steadying breath and continuing, "and I need your help. Please?"

The tips of Sailor Saturn's hair swayed in the breeze, caught by a breath of wind. And she remained silent.

It was then that he realized Sango had stopped shivering. He heard a faint intake of her breath, and then she lay still in his arms, skin a mottled yellow and lips tinged a pale blue.

Miroku lifted his head and looked at Sailor Saturn.

Then he backhanded her across the face.

She jerked to the side, waxen doll slipping from her fingertips as her cheek turned and her eyes closed. Faintly, faintly, with a distant voice, he heard her say: "Papa...."

He shut his eyes, feeling the sting in his hand from slapping her. It may have been the wrong thing to do, but he doubted she could hear him. Sango was so still, her weight so light...she wasn't supposed to look frail. This was a woman who hefted hiraikotsu, one of the heaviest, largest weapons he'd ever seen. She threw it with ease. Weak, thin, fragile. She lay in a deathly moment of translucent beauty, incredibly real. Frailty was for old women on their deathbed, women who were about to breathe their last...breath.

It was backwards.

All backwards.

What had she _done?_

_Why?_

He'd been told the senshi fought for love and justice. What kind of justice was this supposed to be? They were supposed to go back through the well...Pluto would wake up and restore the time warp. They'd go back through the well, defeat Naraku, and live on. Maybe not forever, but they'd live on. He had nothing. She still had Kohaku to live for. Sango had to go back. _Why?_

Miroku brought her up a bit more, lowered his head to hers, hoping to feel breath against his cheek, the way he had on the street where they fought. Her lips were cold.

He warmed them.

Then, abruptly, they _were_ warm. Still, but warm. And that warmth was spreading. He could feel it too, pushing against the scrapes on his hands, pressing against the tears to the front of his shirt and his chest. A faint light was slipping its way over them, and turning his head, he saw the little pale figure of the soldier of death, kneeling beside them. Her eyes were still closed, her face drawn and blank, but she held her hands over Sango's chest. From where they lay, it was as though there was a drop in a pool of water, the ripples spreading evenly, growing wider and encompassing as they expanded in rings. The light they emanated reflected up into her face, and slowly, he watched color return there, and her eyes opened, glowing violet in the shine of her own power. They were immersed in Saturn's wave.

Life and death, existing in the small hands of one little girl.

Miroku had seen many strange things in his travels. But nothing quite like this.

A sharp intake of breath from Sango distracted him, and he watched as the lavender light washed away the yellow from her skin. It was porcelain and pale, but growing white and clean, the dark traceries fading into transparent nothingness.

"I lost my Papa when I was little."

Saturn still wasn't looking at him, but rather at her lap, as she slid her hands away from their healing. She looked tiny then, very young, too young to be fighting. For being so young, she had too much experience with death. He knew the feeling.

She continued, "It's hard to lose someone you love." Saturn turned a weak smile on him, forced, but not a false one. "I'm not afraid to die. It's not as scary as most people think. It can be a relief. But I don't think it was her time. Or mine. Or yours." The smile faded from her face, and she looked at the grey, cloudy sky. She touched her cheek with her fingers. "I should have been more careful. Gomen nasai, Miroku-sama."

The senshi of death and rebirth looked down at them as she stood up. Sango slept, but Miroku watched her with quiet eyes, understanding yet wary at once. The poppet of her father lay at her feet, and she glanced away from it, letting it stay still. A kugutsu. A trick. An illusion. Manipulated. It weighed on her, heavy as the cloudy sky above. It swirled darkly, and she could hear thunder in the distance, rumbling.

Had she saved one life, only to let it vanish again within the day? She held up her hands, wishing for once that the familiar, heavy weight of the Silence Glaive would come to them. Could another use it?

Mistress 9 had taken Chibiusa-chan's Silver Imperium Crystal, and swallowed it. Though unable to control its strength, the sheer power of the crystal had been enough to strengthen her. Remembering, she could still feel that clear energy flowing through her veins. Memories of being Mistress 9 were harsh, and she did not like to think of them.

Was it really just last night that Kagome had spoken to her? She spoke as though she knew. She was not Mistress 9. She wasn't inside her head any more. She didn't control her. Maybe she was still part of her somewhere. Part of who she was. But she was not her.

She was not Mistress 9.

She was Sailor Saturn.

Tomoe Hotaru.

Chibiusa-chan was out there somewhere, fighting. So were Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama and onee-san. Setsuna-mama was at home, and needed her. Ami, Rei, Minako, Makoto. The Prince. The Princess.

She had a family to protect.

"Miroku-sama...Sango-san will be all right, but she needs rest. There's something important I have to get back."

Miroku was drawing Sango up as he stood, looking towards the inside of the destroyed classroom. "We'll be here." Half turning, he glanced backward to see Kirara sitting on her haunches, head bowed. She was close, observing out of large red eyes. He sighed heavily as he sank down just inside the archway Saturn had blown out. "Take Kirara. I don't think we're going anywhere for awhile. She'll be faster."

Saturn looked at the firecat, who stood up and cautiously padded her way forward a bit, allowing the senshi to pet her on the forehead. "Will you let me ride?"

A purr was her reply.

"Arigatou, Kirara."

They climbed into the air quickly, though Sailor Saturn cast a lingering glance on the people she left behind. Curled up in the lea of the wall, Miroku had braced himself, wrapping an arm around Sango and keeping her pillowed against him. Then, as they gained in height, the two vanished from her view.

She had friends to protect, as well.

Then she breathed: "Farewell, Papa."

* * *

They emerged into a field of stars.

In the dimness of the grey world, the crystals of pure souls shone like a thousand points of light, defined by the velvet darkness they lay against. Chaos had swept an arm through the street, sending cars skittering around the road in a ring, leaving the peaceful hovering of Hoste crystals floating above their owners, who lay in their cars or lay draped on the ground. Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury crested a hill, finding the glittering land below, beautiful and yet terrible. It was quiet where the destruction lay, still and silent. Though at the same time, there was a woman standing amid the field of stars, idly holding one in her hand as though considering it.

She wore a black dress, hemmed in blue. A staff was lightly held in her hand, the tip twined with a black star. Her hair, also blue, was bound up on the side of her head, held in a bun with a braid down over her shoulder. Light from the Hoste she held cast hollowly into her eyes, and she glanced sideways at the two approaching senshi with a tiny, patient smile. She had all the time in the world, no worries, no cares. Around her lay a shield of souls, things the senshi did not dare to destroy. To attack her would be to attack the people that lay around her, killing them by killing their spirits. It was a safe way of fighting, for her. She did not care about those around her, how many died. There was still only one of her sisters left, made plain by the sky above. Most likely Mimete, running away, flying ahead of the senshi as she was ordered to do. A distraction was all they were, a stalling tactic. She was there to keep two of the senshi away from the fight for as long as possible.

If she killed them, so much the better.

If she did not, then the pure Hoste around her still lay in wait for further plans.

If she died, then it was little loss. She wasn't real anyway. How much was an unreal person worth, in the end? Being strong amounted to little, when there was nothing left. She was expendable. That was why she was born. She was born to die. Was it not always so?

"I've been waiting for you, Sailor Senshi," the woman said, releasing the Hoste and allowing it to flutter back into the rest of the crowd. She faced them, and watched the expressions on their faces. The one she recognized as Jupiter looked angry as she saw the chaos, settling in to fight and lifting her fists. The Mercury one was wide eyed, looking at the collection of stars she had amassed around her. Slowly, the shock faded into a calculating expression, and the attention of both senshi was focused on her at last.

It was time to begin.

Jupiter motioned first, stepping forward aggressively and waving a hand, encompassing the unconscious people and their vehicles that circled them. "How dare you attack these people, stealing their souls? With the blessings of the planet of protection and thunder, Jupiter, Sailor Jupiter!"  
"And with the blessings of the planet of water and wisdom, Mercury, Sailor Mercury...."

"We will never forgive you!"  
The woman lifted her eyebrows, placing a hand to her cheek as though in amused consideration. Mercury and Jupiter recognized her, the appearance the kugutsu wore fitting the pattern. Of the Witches 5, this was the last and final one.

Cyprine.

And if Cyprine, then Pucherol.

"I was beginning to wonder if any of you would come this way," Cyprine began with a bored tone, pressing the back of her hand to her mouth to stifle a half hearted yawn. "I noticed that most of my dear sisters were getting killed off by your friends, but I was left here so long, I didn't think you'd gotten the hint. Karasu-sama would be so hurt if no one showed up at school. She left you senshi all kinds of signs." A hand was waved airily upward, in vague reference to the unwinding clouds above. "And all I get are Jupiter and Mercury. I'd been hoping for Saturn, or at least Uranus and Neptune, considering Pluto's..." she let a drop of amusement color her voice, "...ineptitude."

"So sorry to disappoint you," Jupiter ground out, poising herself to fight. Seeing who she and Mercury had discovered worried her. Of the Witches, this one was the last and the strongest. She hadn't introduced herself yet, in the time honored tradition, which meant she was playing with them still. She wanted to wipe the self-satisfied smirk off the Witches' face, kill her, and get on with things. They were only a couple blocks from Mugen's remains, and they'd be needed. This early in the game, the Witch was ready, and would dodge just about any blast, considering they were standing directly in front of her. It'd be a miss, until she got a clear shot.

She prepared for her attack, only to hear Mercury suddenly gasp and whirl to the side as she shouted, flinging an arm out as they called out simultaneously:

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Shabon Spray!"

As expected, Cyprene leapt lithely upward, lazily avoiding the crackling stream of electricity, which skimmed along the air, impacting into a swirling, dense fog that swept around them, forming an arena that covered the unconscious. The artic winds that carried along the thick mist caught at the floating, crystalized Hoste, swirling it up and away from the battle area and safely out of the blast range of Jupiter's electricity bolt.

Jupiter realized her mistake as she and Mercury automatically jumped to the sides as the retaliating volley was fired off.

"Ribbon Buster!"

Cyprine's attack blazed outward, striking the spot they had leapt from, the ground exploding under the force of it. Having fought together for so long, they were able to guess one another's actions, and take a basic battle stance. Mercury landed on her feet, skidding to a stop just before the swirling barrier she created around them. She could feel the cold of it, and though the cover wasn't particularly strong, it was tall and dense, enough to keep the Hoste out of the way of the battle, and the people covered and hidden from view. The light they gave off was swallowed in the cool grey mist, fading away and leaving a small world for them to fight in.

The sound of Cyprine's landing was barely audible in the muffling density of the air, humid and thick, though becoming crisp and cold within the circle Mercury had created. A fine line of foggy breath trickled from Cyprine's lips, and she smiled, looking between the two senshi, who had positioned themselves on either side of her. With a single opponent, they had her surrounded. The Witch lifted her empty hand to the air.

The uplifted fingers took on a warped, distorted form, merging with each other and flowing upward, waterfalling down in darkening shades of brown, a fetal figure taking shape as she spoke. It solidified, a pair of feet, legs, a torso and then shoulders, mimicking the original as its shape became distinct. A replica of the first, but mirrored, slowly beginning to color. The skin became light while the dress became black, tipped with red. When the second's eyes opened, they were crimson to contrast to the first's cerulean.

Two seperate entities, though connected through their linked hands, fingers twined, keeping them as one. An imitation of the real Witch, a kugutsu's perfect mockery of the real thing, looking the same, sounding the same, acting the same...but not the same.

"Hm, a barrier field to protect the Hoste? I suppose that would be important to you. But I'm afraid Karasu-sama wants some of them floating around. Though really, it's really not fair for the two of you to surround me like that," said Cyprine as she turned to face Jupiter. "I, Cyprine...."

And the words were continued, echoing and layered, as though two spoke through one person: "And I, Pucherol....at Level 999 Death Busters, will defeat you."

They faced each senshi in turn, hands linked.

Mercury braced herself, watching the formation of the second half of the twin Witch. They'd already identified the fake Viluy's Mosaic Buster as an imitation attack, some kind of seeds replacing the metallic original. Appearance was not reality for these puppets. Their purpose was to decieve, to trick the eyes and make their enemies remember the previous battle with the real ones. None of the battles with the Witches were easy, though Cyprine and Pucherol relied more on stealth and deception to fight. Last time, they were not alone. All the senshi were there, save for Saturn who had not yet awakened. It was then that Sailor Moon achieved her first Super level, powering up.

This time, there was no Sailor Moon. No Holy Grail to drink from, no power for her to call upon. But she was stronger now than when she last helped to fight with the Witches 5. There had to be a way for Jupiter and herself to take them alone, strongest Witches or not.

She needed to buy Jupiter enough time to get them both at once. Her Oak Evolution would be able to strike many places at once, but in order for them to be hit, both sets of eyes needed to be focused away from the taller senshi. A distraction? Fogging the area again would do little good. They'd hear her calling out her attack and move before anything could hit. Something more permanent, then. With only two of them, it made it harder to go unseen. There had to be something she could do to freeze both at once....

Pucherol's red eyes met Mercury's blue.

Then she took a deep breath and charged.

To say that Jupiter was shocked to see the usually reserved senshi of water running recklessly in before her would have been an understatement. Mercury had her hands up, and a funnel of water was coalescing around her extended wrists, enlarging as she stepped forward. Jupiter's scream of warning was drowned out by Mercury's call of, "Shine Aqua Illusion!"

"Ribbon Buster!"

A red column of light impacted the torrent of water, colliding against it and swirling for a moment before overpowering it and flushing it crimson, splitting the blue in half and hitting Mercury, who had her hands up in front of her, braced for the impact of Pucherol's blast. It struck, and Mercury gasped as she fell, flung from her feet, tumbling, enveloped by the thick fog she had created a few moments ago.

"Looks like your friend is a bit foolish," Cyprine allowed as Pucherol turned aside to watch Jupiter recover, face sliding from alarm to fury. The ponytailed senshi wondered what Mercury was up to, but wasn't about to stand around thinking about it. As Cyprine finished her gloating, she charged.  
The twins didn't expect the remaining senshi to run straight at them, fists upraised, crackles of electricty forming globes around them. Caught off guard, they took a half step backward, bringing their linked hands forward to take joint aim at the running figure. At point blank range, they prepared to fire.  
Only to have their quarry vanish from view.

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

Cyprine screamed as she doubled over, Sailor Jupiter crouched against the ground and slamming her fist upward into the Witch's exposed stomach. A burst of electricity exploded from her hand, reducing the first half of the kugutsu to a tangle of falling roots and earth as she pushed through, still running.

Spinning around, a triumphant smile was forming on Jupiter's face. A disjointed Pucherol was still holding half of her sister's shorn limb, snarled, tangled vines threading their way out of the end of it. Jupiter expected the second half of the kugutsu to fall with the first. The poppet inside Cyprine was destroyed.

But Pucherol still stood.

A look of fury formed on her face, a snarl as she whipped around to see Sailor Jupiter's eyes widen, registering shock as she realized the other was not gone, but already of the offensive. The broken body was growing again, reforming the way Pucherol had originally taken shape, flowing up out of the living, fully established half, writhing and twisting as Pucherol took breath to retaliate on behalf of her twin.

"Mercury...Aqua Rhapsody!"

A part formed in the swirling veil of mist, and from it came an icy stream of water, cascading across the air and striking a stunned and gasping Pucherol from the side, the torrent drowing, freezing, and reducing the remaining half to a twisted sculpture of crystaline ice.

Jupiter slowly stood, lowering her fists and easing herself a bit, coming to terms with the fact the battle was over. Glancing in the direction the Rhapsody came from, she watched Mercury step through the wraithlike mists, her winged harp in hand as her fog began to dissapate behind her, revealing the slowly swirling crystalized Hoste. With a tired smile, Mercury hefted her weapon, then sent it back to subspace. "Gomen ne, Jupiter. I didn't mean to surprise you."

"I couldn't believe you just ran in like that," the senshi of lightning chuckled nervously, switching her gaze from Mercury to the frozen Pucherol. "The poppet inside...it moved when Pucherol formed?"

"That would be my guess...I was wondering if it would. I would have attacked earlier, but I wasn't expecting you to try to fight her hand to hand."

Disconcerted, Jupiter took a couple steps back from the frozen figure, eyeing it suspiciously and cocking her head to the side as she considered the twisted forms within the ice. Then a determined look settled on her face, and she took firm aim. "Jupiter Oak Evolution!"

A swirl of bioelectric leaves stormed out from her hands, slicing through the kugutsu and shattering it, solid chunks of ice and dirt crashing to the ground in clumps. Jupiter wrinkled her nose in distate, closing her eyes and tentatively avoiding looking at the mess. It was nauseating, and she reminded herself that the figure was not real, and just a puppet. With a deep breath, she looked back, spotting out the snapped, twin figurine of Cyprine and Pucherol. With a heel, she crushed it.

"This is kind of nasty," Jupiter remarked as she backed away, turning aside her eyes and looking at the sparkling shine of the Hoste instead. It was a far more beautiful sight. "We should get going again."

Mercury, though, had paused, moving through the final tendrils of her mist and cupping one of the crystals lightly in a hand. "She's still after Hoste. Don't you think that's strange?"

"Why would it be?"

Biting her lip, Mercury thought about that for a moment. It didn't settle right with her, and though she wanted to be away from Cyprine and Pucherol's shattered remains as much as Jupiter did, the nagging feeling wasn't leaving her alone. Thus far, everything Karasu had done had a double purpose. Her plans were neatly excuted and logical, with minimal waste, and Mercury could follow a logical process. The first attack seemed random at first, though if she was keeping an eye on both groups, what better way than to move them together? If they fought, then it was her advantange, creating strife between those who had managed to become friends and allies. If they had not, then they were easy to observe.

The appearance of the first kugutsu, Eudial, at the arcade was likely a test to see what the newer arrivals could do. If Eudial took one or more of them out, so much the better. If not, then the test was complete and plans for later would have a more solid basis. The use of Viluy was evidence of that- Sango and Miroku's hands had been tied with her Mosaic Buster attack. If not for Uranus and Neptune's arrival, one or both could have been killed. Even the deception of where her hideaway was had been tricky, and they'd been fortunate Kagome had guessed her way through it. There were times she likened their movements to a chess board; sometimes the sacrifice of a pawn, knight or bishop was needed to protect the king. The losses of the kugutsu were bad, but not enough to lose the game.

The destruction of the wellhouse not only cut off Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and Shippou from going home to the past, but cut morale on both sides, moving the Higurashi's to another location and seperating Kagome from her family.

What rankled most was the same thing that bothered Kagome; when the events of the attack at the school were covered, Karasu had not gone straight for the Shikon no Tama and Kagome. She had also wasted time trying to collect Hoste. If Karasu was not wasteful unless need be, then why wander the halls? Why have Cyprine collect Hoste? Were there other kugutsu out there, attempting the same thing? Only a few minutes ago, the Witch stated that Karasu-sama wanted some of the Hoste to be floating around.

Why was Hoste still important to her?

Was she trying to summon something? Though she claimed to be a Death Buster, she had not stepped forward to help Pharoah 90 or Mistress 9 when they fought them originally. The most logical conclusions to that were Karasu either didn't care what happened to them, or hated them. Likely both.

What was the nature of Hoste? The energy of them was being collected to summon Pharoah 90 from Tau Ceti. Pharaoh 90 was a creature of pure destruction, gaining power from the collected Hoste. If there was no Pharaoh 90 to summon, though the energy was still useful, then where had Karasu turned their usefullness to? Was she also trying to destroy their world? Somehow, that didn't seem to fit her style. The fact she had not completely destroyed the Higurashi Jinja had seemed out of character for her at the time. But, if somewhere in Karasu's mind, she actually _respected_ the jinja as a holy place, she had targeted only the part that was a threat to her.

Then was her objective narrower? So far, only Inuyasha, Kagome, Pluto and Weaver had even _seen_ their enemy, much less heard what she was after. Prior experience with enemies gave that as a warning. Usually their plan would be revealed to someone, so that the senshi knew what they were fighting and why. Had Karasu attempted contact with anyone today? If so, then had she spoken of what her plans were?

Perhaps the objective was not to destroy the world, but only something that lay on it. Her youkai-daimon hybrids would be loyal to her as their creator. The kugutsu were merely imitations of those they fought before. If Karasu herself was, in effect, a youkai-daimon hybrid...with the lack of youkai in this era, was she attempting to create a world for herself?

Mercury's sapphire eyes reflected the glitter of the Hoste in her hand.

Pure, clean energy. Used to pull Pharaoh 90 through a portal to this dimension.

If the energy was released here on Earth, by some kind of destructive force, then how much of a gestalt would the released Hoste provide?

"Jupiter...when Kagome's school was attacked, she told us that Karasu said something about her being irrelevant somehow. She also wasted a lot of time just collecting Hoste as well. There's a great deal of power inside a person's soul. If these crystals were shattered, the people would die, but the energy of their passing would also..." Mercury shook her head, trying to think of how to explain it, "...the energy of their death would also be released somehow. If she was trying to destroy...they could be a way of amplifying whatever it is she's using to..." she bit her lip. It would take an enormous ammount of destructive force to begin with, in order to reach anywhere a kugutsu had attacked and left Hoste behind, not unlike a mine field. "It sounds a bit inelegant, but they could be a way of amplifying whatever it is she's using to blow them up."

"Another bomb?" Jupiter asked, trying to think of things that could blow away large portions of a city. "If we caught Cyprine here, then who knows where she was earlier? And if she was here, then there may be other kugutsu wandering around doing the same thing. A bomb could blow stuff up over a big area, but she'd need...an atomic bomb or something." That concept sent a horrific shiver down Jupiter's spine, and she glanced at the unravelling clouds in the heavens above. "Hoste may be strong, but it's not an explosive. It might help her, but it's not going to be enough to take out Tokyo."

"Actually, when Kagome said Karasu stated she disliked using bombs, for some reason I believed it. She's fought mostly from afar, but each time she's sent a kugutsu, it's been either to test or to avoid being detected. She may not have even sent out those two kugutsu if Sango and Miroku had never arrived in this era. Her attacking now would be even more out of the blue, catching us completely unprepared." Mercury released the Hoste in her hand, and the crystal floated idly on the air, slowly winding its way towards an older man who had collapsed just outside his car.

He was grizzled grey, half hidden behind his car door, with an arm stretched out across the concrete. Mercury turned away from him to look at Jupiter with an even, pained gaze. Then, slowly, she turned away and spoke as she began to walk back in the direction they had come, footfalls heavy as she picked up speed, a puzzled Jupiter falling into step beside her as they ran back. She didn't know why they were returning, the battle was the other way, but she wasn't doubting Mercury's judgement, not yet. As their pace became a full race, Mercury looked beside her and said, "She'd need something powerful...but she'd want to do it herself. This is her personal triumph, if she's successful."

"Yeah, but what other than a bomb can blow up a city, let her still be there using it, and not actually kill her in the process? She'd need something magical for that, and the only thing I know of that has that kind of destructive power is...." Jupiter suddenly blanched white, as she caught onto Mercury's train of thought. "Mercury...you can't be serious...she couldn't use...that...that's impossible!"

So startled at the concept, Jupiter halted in her run, causing Mercury to slow and turn back to see her disbelieving, shocked expression. "She wouldn't even have to be able to control it, Jupiter. Mistress 9 couldn't control Chibimoon's Silver Crystal, and yet the raw energy of it alone gave her incredible power. If she were to combine the destructive force of the Silence Glaive with her own youki, compound that by the Hoste left by humans around the city...and then, to finish things, get Kagome and her Shikon no Tama within the blast radius, imagine the damage it would cause. Remember what Kagome told us about it when we first met. It gives power to youkai."

Jupiter's eyes blinked rapidly as she tried to assimilate the depth and detail of that plan. Every little motion they had made over the last five days had been either planned for them or manuvered around. But it was purely impossible! Saturn would never, ever allow her Glaive to fall into someone..._anyone_...else's hands.

Then she remembered the mournful looks on Hotaru's face these last couple days. They weren't solid, without form or substance, floating away as soon as someone spoke to her, cheering her. A reemergence of the Death Busters would weigh on the girl's mind enough...if there was some other part of the plan they were missing...it would likely have to do with Hotaru. Something to put her off balance, to make taking the Glaive easier. It would have to subvert Saturn's perceptions, a slow, subtle influence, something undetectable.

Poppets.

Voodoo?

Stick the pin in the poppet, and see the person respond, not knowing what was wrong. Nothing was touching them, nothing connecting to them. And yet they were influenced.

"Oh gods, Saturn...." Jupiter breathed, and she and Mercury again broke into a run.

* * *

Cleared up the events from chapter 24. Sango and Miroku are okay, and Saturn's snapped out of it. Mercury's figured things out.  
For this chapter, I listened to _'Tragedy of the Female Fighter'_ from the _Vampire Miyu _OST, and the second _Inuyasha_ OST.  
The end is near. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.  
Til next storytime.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 27: Revelations-

The two purple clad figures on top of the tall tower tightened their single-handed grips on the intricate shaft of the naginata, Dreamweaver's resting just slightly on top of Saturn's as they lifted the gleaming end upward as one. Two powers, stemming from the same source. Twin and yet different, pale lavender lined with deep violet. It was wordless, and silently the blade was raised.

It pierced the heaven, and from it came the mist.


	28. Revelations

Of This World And Yesterday

_Piercing demons sing_  
_Twisting hollow Hell_  
_Burning blisters swell_  
_Sharp cut aching breath_  
_Choking scent of death_  
_Grueling jaw-bone grind_  
_Cursed by my own mind_  
_(Your heart can't hear me)_  
_-Delirium, Duende_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 27- Revelations

It was not quite a river of souls, though in the spaces between towers, swirls and eddies could be seen, glowing streams of shining light that lit the dim grey world. They lit the outer walls of buildings, sending white light flickering upward in ghostly shades, catching on the reflective surfaces of glass.

On one of the loftier towers, the petite figure of Sailor Dreamweaver stood, her naginata in hand as she swept her eyes across the scene below, taking in the pockets of released Hoste. Buildings blocked her view of further areas, though to both sides of her, gleaming pockets against the ground hinted at a circular, if somewhat uneven, pattern. She had spent awhile- too long awhile- stopping at these points, hoping to press the removed crystallizations back into the owners bodies. Seeing the pale forms of soulless people lying on the street was an eerie sight, and she was glad that most had taken themselves indoors by now. The further she came to Mugen Academy's ruin, the fewer people she saw, now dwindled to none. Eventually, she had stumbled across the youkai-daimon hybrids. At first suspecting they were attacking the souls, she prepared herself to fight, still without an offensive. Even without that, she could defend. Wariness kept her from striking immediately at the first creature, an exotic looking, hairy spider. Though it was larger than she was, it ignored her entirely, legs moving rapidly along the street as it moved past her, ignoring the crystals.

She wondered why.

Not just why it ignored her, but it did not collect the Hoste, either. It seemed perfectly content to work its way along, legs stirring the crystals slightly and making them float around. If it wasn't attacking her, and was not attacking the people, then it seemed best to Dreamweaver to avoid picking a fight with something she wasn't sure she could defend against. It made most sense that if one of Karasu's hybrids was leaving the precious Hoste alone, then Karasu herself wanted it left in these pockets around the city. What she would do with the random power, Weaver had no idea. It would be useless to her uncollected, wouldn't it? Despite the reasoning, it settled badly on her mind, and she worried about leaving the Hoste exposed. Having one's soul out and floating around was not natural, and she didn't want to guess the consequences, though she knew they would be bad. Simply destroying them seemed like a waste.

Looking upward, there was still one spiraling cloud formation left, though the others had now unwound, coalescing into a newer, darker pattern in the sky, larger than the separate ones. The epicenter was a charcoal grey deepening to black, rumbling with the lightning energy held within, flickering and flashing. Though angry, the heaven looked as though it could crumble.

She had debated hard with herself deciding where to go. Inuyasha and Kagome said Mugen, and that would be where everyone was headed. Habit urged her to go find some of the others, to find Hotaru and Chibiusa, or find Ami and ask her opinion of the situation, and what the best course of action would be. Ami, though, did not need her help, being with the other Inner Senshi. Asking questions would slow them down.

She had almost gone to find Hotaru. The load of sad memories that hovered around her was heavy now, weighted darkly. And yet, there was no evidence of anything amiss, nothing around her but the void. Normalcy for everyone was different, some people carrying more sorrows than others, and Hotaru carried many. But Hotaru...she had grown stronger to carry the extra load, and Weaver determined it would take far too much to break her. She, like the others, would come to Mugen.

The distance to the next tower was considerable, and Weaver gauged the distance carefully. She wasn't used to leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Of course, she couldn't fly, though it'd be so much easier. The next building was the tallest in the area, and should give her a spectacular view from its apex, allowing her to confirm the circular pattern of Hoste crystal pockets, as well as be close enough and unobstructed enough to see Mugen. Only two other buildings in the area were as tall, and they were further away. Taking a couple steps back, she ran forward, launching herself into the air as she took a deep breath, sending a quick prayer to any kindly nearby air spirits to help her land safely.

She enjoyed the soaring feeling of going upward. Flight such as this was an extraordinary sensation, and despite the moment of danger, she allowed herself to revel in it, the weightless feeling accompanied with trepidation at the thought of falling. Never would she have dreamed of doing this before. Perhaps this magic was included as compensation for the responsibility of a senshi.

Glancing at the ground below, she watched the height increase as she aimed higher. Cars were still on the street below, and there was no motion indicating people. Glad it was empty, she looked upward again, coming up on her destination, and she felt the hard, jarring impact of her feet landing on the roof of the tower. She closed her eyes a moment and smiled furtively at her success, then stood and looked out across the expanse below her. As she expected, her new vantage point was better than the old one, and she could see the crescent of light from Hoste shining upward, winging the building just behind her. Turning to see the arch of brightness, Dreamweaver saw another thing, an airborne, firey figure coming in at a higher altitude, ignoring the drafts of wind at the building's height and running through the air on flame padded paws.

At first, Weaver was delighted to see Sailor Saturn perched on Kirara's back, stepping forward and beginning to raise a hand in greeting. Then the fact that it was Saturn on the firecat's back and not Sango or Miroku struck her, and her hand fell back to her side as Saturn steered Kirara downward for a landing, seeing the other senshi on the top of the tower.

The younger girl's face was solemn, drawn, melancholy somehow and distant, as though her actions were done automatically, acted out with a displaced calm. As she slid down from Kirara's back and patted her lightly on the shoulder in thanks, Weaver felt an aura flickering around her, reminiscent of darkness. She could not place it. It was not a thing to be placed, a sensation she had experienced before. Though its likeness was to that of a nightmare, of the despair that tinged a lonely dream, or of the desperation of seeing yourself doing something you hated. Sorrow, not fear or anger. It cloaked her and touched the air, though whatever caused the lingering traces were gone.

"I'm sorry, Saturn," Weaver apologized softly, lavender eyes gentle on the younger girl. She did not know what had happened, or how. Though she had checked and searched for a source of attack on her, there had been nothing to find. It made her feel clumsy and inexperienced, failing in her duty, while a moment before she had actually been enjoying the weightlessness of her leap. "Are you all right?"

Her hand slipped from Kirara's fur, and she drew a breath, preparing herself again and stepping away, going to stand by the ledge of the building. Over the Mugen Academy site, the unbound clouds had gathered again, now a deepening pitch. So small below them, she could faintly pick out the spire in the rubble's center, where Sailor Moon had stood several months ago to bring rebirth to the destroyed land. Always with the end....

A thermal draft of humid air rushed up along the high windows on the highest storey of the building, sending Saturn's straight hair flicking backward from her purple eyes. Quietly, she responded, "Sango-san is badly hurt, Miroku-sama with her. They allowed me to ask Kirara for a ride. I'm not sure where everyone else is, though we're all supposed to converge on Mugen."

"Inuyasha-kun and Kagome-san left before I did, and I stopped several times. They may be there already," Dreamweaver told her, half turning to see the firecat, who was watching them curiously. "If we hurry, we may make it there in a couple minutes."

"No."

Somehow, Weaver knew that Saturn would object, and was not surprised when she saw her close her eyes as though bracing herself to speak. Then she continued.

"When Mistress 9 fought with the senshi...Pluto, Neptune and Uranus established a triangular shield with their Talismans to contain the destruction that was coming from the battle. We stand on the Meioh Bank, where Pluto used her Garnet Orb. Those buildings there," she pointed, "on the Tenoh and Kaioh Banks of the Delta Triangle, where Uranus and Neptune stood. Eventually, their shield gave way, but not before containing the worst. We need to do the same, but it must hold against the Glaive."

Her hands were empty. Weaver saw that her hands were empty, unlike her own which held a halberd, an ebony shafted naginata. Shock did not register, but rather a profound acceptance. This was not a time to panic or pity, but to work and survive. They needed a shield to contain a blast of the Silence Glaive. Her own new defensive attack conjured a Dome, but it would not be large enough to encase the entire area, nor would it be able to resist that level of destructive power. It would need more strength lent to it, and though she was certain Saturn would be helping her, she felt more pieces began to fall into place of Karasu's plan.

A soul could be a powerful thing; the senshi fought with the magic of theirs. Though ordinary humans did not have magical abilities such as theirs, the energy generated of their passing could be great. Around them lay a patchy ring of souls, ready to be destroyed. The hybrid had not been there to attack them, but to be sure that they stayed where they were, untouched. Kagome and Inuyasha were on their way inside, with the Shikon no Tama. The simple memory of how that had influenced her ghost sent a ripple of fear down her spine, and she felt a sensation of coldness at the thought of the Glaive's power and Karasu's youki coming into contact with the cursed tama.

She wasn't sure how Karasu was planning on using the Glaive; Saturn, though, seemed certain she could, and that was proof enough for her. "The others will also have to help," Dreamweaver told Saturn, glancing downward at the shorter girl. The two of them had moved to the front ledge of the tower, and Weaver's naginata was between them.

"They're scattered. Each of those cloud formations was probably a point to fight at. Look," she acknowledged as the final one began to disintegrate. "The last is now finishing."

It unwound, loosing the final spool of clouds and letting the sky turn into black net. Thundering rumbles began to echo above them, booming hollowly in the otherwise silent air. They would have to know to add their own strength to the shield. The Inners. The Outers. Both combined to defend against a power they claimed as their own, wielded by the wrong pair of hands.

The two purple clad figures on top of the tall tower tightened their single-handed grips on the intricate shaft of the naginata, Dreamweaver's resting just slightly on top of Saturn's as they lifted the gleaming end upward as one. Two powers, stemming from the same source. Twin and yet different, pale lavender lined with deep violet. It was wordless, and silently the blade was raised.

It pierced the heaven, and from it came the mist.

* * *

Cresting the brow of the hill, Sailor Neptune saw the place she had been waiting for. It was a crux in the road, a three-way stop for cars where buildings rose several storeys into the air. The two senshi had been led on a chase through most of downtown, eventually realizing that Mimete was stalling. Coming upon several patches of glowing crystalized Hoste, they began to suspect why. They hadn't seen Mimete collecting it, but if there were other Witches out there, then it was reasonable to assume it was them, and there were more places nearby. They were through the crystal field in a flash, running swiftly in attempt to catch up to the orange haired kugutsu. There was no time to push crystals back into their owners. They would have to wait their turn.

Mimete was coasting ahead of her, playing, flying fast on the back of her mount, but still toying playfully with the single senshi behind her. Neptune wasn't sure if Mimete was being overconfident or was simply oblivious to the fact she and Uranus had split apart several blocks back, the other heading for a shortcut to make this place into a corral. With the low altitude Mimete was keeping, eventually she would be forced to come up to this crossroad, leaving her with three options: she could go right, she could go left, or she could go up. The chance of her standing and fighting seemed unlikely, judging on her current behavior.

Neptune was there to ensure that whichever direction she took, she would run into the awaiting Sailor Uranus. Now, reaching the hill's top, she looked ahead to the end of the street, eyes seeking out her partner. After a moment, a slight blur of motion caught her attention, and she saw Uranus heading upward, towards the roof of a righthand building to cover the skyward route as well. The familiar, thin glow of the Space Sword lit, and she tried to keep her attention on Mimete rather than Uranus. The Witch was twisted around in her seat, laughing delightedly at the teal haired senshi running along behind her, beginning to show signs of fatigue.

She stumbled a half step, catching herself but losing a stride. A new peal of cackles sounded from Mimete, just as Neptune hit the bottom of the hill. So busy laughing, the kugutsu failed to notice the smile form on her opponent's face and the familiar buildup of power around Neptune, a silent, invisible preparation.

"Deep Submerge!"

Busy turning her attention away from the senshi and to steering the eagle left, Mimete screeched as the large raptor bird shied away from the globe of water streaming along its left wingtip, smashing into the corner of the last building before the three way intersection. It exploded, saltwater storming out in all directions, shooting forward and forcing the bird to turn aside, sopping wet and struggling to stay afloat on the currents of wind. It flapped wide wings as Mimete clung on, trying to avoid the web of stoplight wires just below, several ripped apart from the salt spray.

"Space Sword Blaster!"

From where she stood on the ground, Neptune watched as Uranus leapt from the rooftop, kicking forward and throwing out her attack, slicing through the frantic kugutsu, still trying to recover from the sudden swerve and deluge.

"Submarine Reflection!"

Sailor Uranus landed gracefully as Neptune headed forward again, coming up underneath the remaining daimon. Already struggling, the second blast of watery energy sent it spiraling from the sky, crashing into the ground. It struggled a moment, then lay still.

Carefully, Neptune stepped back from the intersection. The remains of the kugutsu and daimon lay in the center of a saltwater pool, a torn wire from the streetlight dangling precariously close to the ground. The air had taken on a renewed chill, and looking skyward, she saw the final cloud formation spiral away into nothingness, joining the rest of the stormy heaven. Edging away, she returned her mirror to subspace, then glanced toward her partner. "Uranus?"

"I'm fine," came the reply as the tallest senshi stood and looked on the destruction. She frowned, then a disgusted expression crossed her face, causing her to turn away. "Stupid kugutsu. We should get going. We need to get to Mugen with everyone else."

The pair turned, taking the first steps of a run, until Neptune abruptly slowed her jog, then hesitated, looking beyond the buildings in front of them. In their chase, they'd left downtown, and the roofs were lower, no longer skyscrapers towering above. Here, a clearer view of the sky was available, and it revealed a sloping dome of grey mist, cascading from above and sweeping downward.

"Shimatta!" Uranus exclaimed as she noticed the wall as well, suddenly pushing forward with a burst of speed, Neptune on her heels. "Whatever that thing is, we need to get inside before it hits the ground!"

They ran, pressing ahead at full tilt. Before, fighting Mimete, they had kept up, hoping to find a way of taking her down. Simply throwing attacks ahead of them would do little good. As the kugutsu watched, she could evade and dodge from her position on the eagle's back. So they had split, forming a trap. Here, they used strength still reserved, rushing along the ground at faster, more urgent speeds.

The curtain wall dropped to the ground, and a last moment sprint from Uranus was too late. Both were trapped outside, and the senshi of the wind beat the field with a fist, cursing it. "What the hell is this thing? Some new trick from that bitch?"

Backing up a step, Neptune tilted back her head, looking up the smooth curve of the dome before them. It curved smoothly, gracefully to each side, encompassing the surrounding area, high enough to include the tallest buildings closer towards the downtown area. Judging by its height and breadth, it surrounded at least Juuban's downtown area, though possibly some portions outside of it. The solid mist still seemed to swirl on invisible winds, ghostly and opaque, leaving only a shadowed view of the inside. Grey and lavender colors merged and blended in the translucent wall, sparked with ribbons of deep violet and black.

Uranus was backing away a few steps, lifting a hand over her head and preparing to attack, in an attempt to breach the wall. "World Shaking!"

The golden, planetary shaped light impacted straight on, several lengths off to Neptune's side. Rather than breaking through or careening off, they watched, wide eyed, as the blast was absorbed, sticking to the outer wall and quickly drawn into it, sending spirals of gold to interlock with the weaving of purple shades.

"What the..." Uranus began, watching as her blast blended with the rest, though maintained its own distinct pattern in the misty surface.

There was a familiarity to it, though on a grander scale than before. Much larger in size and scope. Neptune raised an arm to ward off Uranus from trying another shot. A large, though stable, deflective curtain wall, a pale that fenced off what was a dangerous zone in the city?

"This is of Saturn," Neptune told Uranus, sending her a furtive glance before stepping close to the wall. It towered above her, and she followed its rising arch again until she was almost unsteady on her feet. "This is a Silence Wall."

Suspiciously, Uranus looked at it, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's so big...why would Saturn need to make one this size? And why keep us outside?"

"I don't know," Neptune replied, lips drawing into a fine line. Lightly, she reached out and placed her fingertips on its surface, closing her eyes and attempting to focus. It rippled, pooling outward and expanding, causing the flow of the mist to edge away and around her touch. Through the surface, she could feel the energy pulsing within, a heartbeat, slow yet steady, beating, sending power outward like a pulse. It tugged at her, pulling like a tide even as waves swept across the shore. That was what it reminded her of, a force pulling her in, urging her to join. But with her own element, she could feel twin powers calling a siren song, familiar and sad.

Slowly, almost dreamily, she opened her eyes, looking closely at the space before her. "It's calling." Neptune looked at Uranus steadily. "Saturn...Dreamweaver is there too...I can feel them in this. Both of them. They're calling."

Skeptically, Uranus looked between Neptune and the wall, a frown gracing her features. A Death Buster, with unknown powers, again at Mugen. She remembered the last battle with those from Tau Ceti. Of the failed triangular shield she, Neptune and Pluto had established, eventually crushed under the sheer weight of the destruction. It had been an attempt at a containment field, to withhold as much as possible. So she asked, "Like before?"

Neptune knew what Uranus was thinking, following her train of thoughts and nodding agreement. Three of them had been unable to contain Pharaoh 90...would the additions of Saturn and Weaver help to contain whatever it was Karasu was attempting? Saturn and Weaver would not make a shield unless it was needed, otherwise being a waste of time and energy. If the Princess was already inside, then their efforts would be best containing the chaos that could be unleashed.

She wondered what Karasu had that was so dangerous.

That alone worried her.

And as the troubled look in Uranus' eyes grew, she knew it worried her as well.

* * *

"Kaze no Kizu!"

A whirlwind was flung forward from the end of Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, tracing along the path of a daimon-youkai's youki, breaking up the asphalt street and slicing the creature apart. Large, the hairy legged spider had been crawling along the side of a building when Inuyasha and Kagome came across it. Chasing it away from a display of glowing Hoste at Kagome's insistence, Inuyasha finished it quickly. They'd come across several caches of the displaced crystals, floating above and around their owners. At one point, it'd taken him several minutes to convince Kagome to leave them alone. There was no time now to be returning the Hoste to their owners, as much as they should. Reluctantly, Kagome acceded, and though they killed any of the hybrids they came across on their journey downtown, they did not stop again.

She rode on his back, hand tight on the bow she held. It felt warm and familiar, leaning against him and feeling the heat of his back against her, white hair streaming past her shoulder as she clung on. Though this was comforting and familiar, the lack of others with them was awkward, and she wished that Sango and Miroku were there with Kirara, alongside. She wondered how they were, what they were doing, if they were safe. Already, she'd used two arrows, finishing off one of the daimon on her own, though the quiver on her back remained full. They were running, Inuyasha leaping upward and gliding along every few steps, occasionally using one of the streetlamps to propel them higher and further, leaping up on them and kicking off.

This time, it was her world, her time, in danger. Abandoned cars and buildings rushed by as Inuyasha ran, and occasionally Kagome would see either a brave or foolish person looking out the window of one of the offices, stores or homes they ran past.

Seeing Inuyasha fire off a Kaze no Kizu here, and the resulting decimation of whatever was in its way, gave her a fuller appreciation of the strength of the attack. It was easy to think of it as strong. She'd seen it take out mountains. Here, she was glad he had not missed, and any aftershocks from whatever he hit were smaller and not taking out buildings.

And that was not even his strongest attack.

_Bakuryuuha._

The full effect of that within this world...the destruction could be staggering. The Bakuryuuha turned a youkai's youki back on them, tearing the area to shreds in the process. Karasu was strong...she'd made herself that way over the centuries. This was Tokyo, downtown Juuban, not an empty canyon with a dragon to defeat. She hoped he wouldn't need it. If he did, then she knew he wouldn't hesitate. Karasu had to be removed. But at what price? Though hiding, there were people within these buildings, and they weren't safe.

Then, slowly, a coolness pressed a shiver down her spine, prickling her skin eerily and making her glance around, then, finally, up. A smooth dome was forming over their heads, translucent but clouded, arching high above over the tops of the towers.

Surprised, she rapped on Inuyasha's shoulder to get his attention. "Inuyasha! Stop! Look!"

"What?" he asked, skidding to a stop on the ground at Kagome's persistent whacking on his shoulder. "We're losing time!"

"I know, but look up!"

He too saw the dome above, solidifying as he watched. Frowning, he sniffed the still air, trying to sense anything the heavy air carried. Through the humidity, there was a trace of flowers that was not there before, of chrysanthemums and of the earth, merging with unshed rain from above. Otherwise, the place was silent, the ceiling of mist eerily quiet in the air. "It smells like Ukifune. And that Hotaru girl."

One of Kagome's hands tightened on the grip of her bow, while the other twined itself more tightly into the fabric of Inuyasha's red kimono. "It looks like the inside of the dome Dreamweaver created at school. I don't remember it completely, I was still in the doorway...but that's what it reminds me of."

With a shrug, Inuyasha lowered his head and braced himself to run again, taking off as Kagome brought herself back into a better riding position. "It's a hell of a lot bigger than her Dome from before. If that is her, why's she putting it up now? Shouldn't she and the Saturn kid be going to Mugen too?"

"You think both of them are making it?"

"Smells like them both. They smell kind of the same though, and the air here is weird. Smells bad a lot of the time from those car things," he replied, glancing from side to side and taking note of the abandoned vehicles. "They smell like flowers and dirt. Not bad, but flowers and dirt. That's what that thing smells like. Flowers and dirt."

A bit inelegant, Kagome thought to herself, but if the two of them smelled of the earth and of flowers, then she wouldn't be surprised. Informed as she was that Saturn was the planet of death, then for a person's scent to be of the groundsoil, she supposed it made sense. Though if Dreamweaver and Saturn were presumably combining their powers, the situation would have to be serious. She remembered comments that Saturn also had a kind of defensive wall- if they were combining their strengths of that, then they were probably trying to contain something. Why else make a dome this large? Over Mugen? Outside areas would be protected from whatever was inside...but the question was...what was inside? She wished she knew. It had to be strong in order for the two of them to be uniting their powers this way...were other senshi adding their powers? If they were, then....

Kagome bit her lip, not wanting to think about how bad whatever they were running into would be if all the senshi were combining their powers to contain it. The dome above may be for protection, but it also signified how grave the situation may be. She had to stop thinking this way. It was too negative. She and Inuyasha would be fine...the others were also on their way. Even if they weren't, they would fight on their own if they had to. She just hoped they could.

And still they ran on.

It took them only another minute to fall upon the place, following the spiraling of pitch black clouds storming overhead, rumbling darkly in the skies. Inuyasha stayed silent, not telling Kagome of the change in scent in the dome. He guessed that it was Weaver and Saturn at first, working together. Now, other familiar scents were layering on top of the flowers and dirt. First a saltwater smell, the smell of an ocean bay, stirred by a warm summer wind. Those were the first new scents that began to blend and merge with the first. Though, slowly, others were joining them. The other senshi were adding their power. A scent of sandalwood incense blended with a slightly metallic smell, slowly merging with the electrically charged scent of the wind during a thunderstorm, and of the sweet, freshwater rain from the clouds above. He recognized these as the scents of Neptune and Uranus, then Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury, all permeating the air through the conjured wall of mist above. From many powers came one.

They all were creating it. It lacked the distinctive scents of Sailor Moon, Chibimoon and Tuxedo Kamen, and he suspected that they, like he and Kagome, were within the wall and not adding to it. It didn't matter. There was no time to wonder where they were or when they would arrive.

He and Kagome had reached Mugen Academy.

She sat on a single, jutting spire in the chaos of the debris at her feet. There was a single, lone woman who laid in wait, politely, legs tucked up against the pillar she sat upon, hands resting lightly in her lap. The pillar itself was dark, an obsidian spire with clear, sharp edges catching the brightness of the few crystals of Hoste that hovered lightly in the air below her. Karasu's ebony eyes were downcast, straight raven hair slanting forward around her pale cheeks as her fingertips followed the tracery of a long weapon she held delicately, gracefully and with reverence, smoothing over the long black shaft.

Inuyasha paused only long enough to drop Kagome off onto the street before leaping upward and drawing Tetsusaiga in one smooth arch.

"Kaze no Kizu!"

Her motion was small, hands lifting the weapon she held and straightening it out, so that the double bladed end rose into the air and sparked as the blast contacted it, doubling back. Inuyasha saw his own attack returning to him a moment too late, sending him crashing back to the ground. It was then that Karasu looked up from her ministrations to the halberd, eyes following to see where Inuyasha had landed. As Kagome ran to him, she allowed herself a small smile, and tilted her head to the side in a birdlike manner, lifting her hand to the air for Evermore to land. The black raven settled there, and as the two on the ground looked back up to her, they watched her stand on the pillar's small platform, folds of a black dress smoothing themselves around her and settling as she balanced the weapon before her.

She let out a nervous, high pitched laugh as the two of them returned to their feet, this time more warily. "You shouldn't charge into things so quickly, hanyou," she called with false levity down to them. Her words were light, but with a brittle edge beneath them, as though they could shatter. "That's a hard lesson to learn, patience. But it does pay off in the end."

Inuyasha kept Tetsusaiga drawn, watching her more carefully this time. Around her was a dark light, clashing wildly with the aura of the weapon she was holding in her hand. It was as though they struggled, sparking and crashing against each other, emitting a heavy smell of soil and decay. One came from her, the gross stink of something gone to rot. The other, from the weapon, oddly familiar. He had never seen Saturn's weapon before. But the smell was the same.

It seemed like ages ago now, but on the day after meeting the senshi, he had sat on the rooftop across the street from Kagome's school and listened as Dreamweaver told him of the senshi's powers and the weapons they wielded. The words echoed in his mind, in Weaver's light voice.

_"Hotaru-chan struck me with her Silence Glaive....It is a Talisman, with the power to destroy a planet, if dropped...."_

"Silence Glaive...."

The words rang loudly in the still air, and Karasu heard them. Settled on her shoulder, she scratched Evermore's neck with a nail, causing him to flap his ragged wings and caw contentedly. "Yes, hanyou. I'm surprised you recognized it so quickly. It's a lovely weapon, is it not?" Her eyes traced the blade, then down to the base of it, resting lightly against the dark crystal spire. "Well made, perfectly balanced, magical blade sharpened to a razor's point. It doesn't like me very much, you know," she added with a conspiratorial whisper. Then she raised her voice again, continuing, "If you know what it is, then do you know what it can do?"

Inuyasha growled, pushing Kagome behind him a bit more. He heard her reach for an arrow and nock it in her bow, preparing it to fly. He wasn't sure how much good one of her purifying arrows would do against the Glaive. Against Karasu's youki it might do some damage, but if she was using one of the senshi's powers, he didn't know how much good they would do. Her youki he could fight, turn it back against her. But Saturn wasn't a youkai. She and her weapon didn't emit youki for him to turn back. How much good would a Bakuryuuha do against the Silence Glaive? He could use the scent of their auras to find the cutting place of the Kaze no Kizu, but an aura was not youki. Could it turn it back? He wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

_"It is a Talisman, with the power to destroy a planet, if dropped...."_

Karasu's voice sounding again interrupted him from his thoughts. "I see you do. Then I suppose this would be a good time to ask: Have you reconsidered my suggestion at all?"

A snarl formed, and Kagome warily edged her way forward a bit more, trying to see his face. She kept her bow half drawn and ready, eyes flicking from the hanyou to the woman standing above them. "Inuyasha...you said she talked to you at school...what suggestion?"

His response was not to her, but to Karasu. "Go to hell!"

"Elegant response, hanyou, as always," she sniffed sarcastically, pursing her lips in distaste at his rude behavior. "You didn't ask her about what I said at all, did you? More's the pity."

On the ground, Kagome was looking at the side of Inuyasha's face, intent on what expression she could see. He was grimacing, though the look in his eyes was furious. "Inuyasha...what did she say to you?"

The response was harsh, abrupt and sharp. "She's babbling some shit about youkai being extinct, and humans killing millions of each other. She's out of her fucking mind."

Kagome drew in a breath, then watched Karasu closely. She was intent on them, watching out of sharp black eyes. This youkai had lived for over five hundred years, watching as youkai grew fewer and fewer, disappearing from the world. She was, quite possibly, one of the last. They didn't know much of anything about Karasu. Not how she did what she did, or why. If she was one of the last, finding Inuyasha must have set up an odd situation for her. Five hundred and fifty years ago, she came to a world populated not just with humans, but with youkai. She became a youkai, merging with one. Down the years, she had lived.

Lived, while others died.

She was alone.

Inuyasha, though hanyou, still carried youkai blood in him. They may have fought the last time they met, so many centuries ago, though if Karasu wanted others like her, then she may choose letting him live over killing him out of spite. She wanted him to join her.

The hybrids she formed...they were not just her army, but an ark. Survivors, to begin again. Youkai-daimon hybrids, like her. And over the course of years, she had seen youkai vanish and humans spread, to forget they ever existed, to fight each other instead.

Very, very softly she breathed: "Humans are dangerous in this time, Inuyasha. They could kill you."

The words were enough to take his eyes off of Karasu so that he could look at Kagome. Standing very still, she kept her bow drawn, though her gaze was towards the ground.

She was telling the truth. The crazy, youkai Magus woman was telling the truth?

Side with her, and live in a world full of crazy, youkai-daimon creatures, or protect the humans who possibly killed them off in the first place? All the worry about him and Shippou looking different from human, disguising themselves. He still had the Luna Pen inside his haori, tucked away. Look like everyone else, and you'll be fine. Be inhuman, and you'll be treated like you're inhuman.

Kagome was still standing beside him.

Kagome.

Miroku, Sango...Kaede-baaba.

Kikyou.

Kagome.

Humans, all humans.

Join Karasu, and kill the humans the way the humans had helped to kill off the youkai?

Inhuman. Even the word made it sound like being something else was bad.

He turned golden eyes back up to Karasu and repeated himself. "Go to hell!"

"Suit yourself," she shot back, voice taking a cold, razor's edge. "Join your human friends then." Black eyes flicked away from them and back up the street, where three figures could be seen, running swiftly. Two girls, one with long blonde hair streaming behind her, the other smaller and colored pink where the older was gold, slightly trailed by a tall young man dressed in black, a cloak flying wide behind him. "They have arrived," Karasu announced. "It's time to begin."

* * *

Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!Omake!

They all were creating it. It lacked the distinctive scents of Sailor Moon, Chibimoon and Tuxedo Kamen, and he suspected that they, like he and Kagome, were within the wall and not adding to it. It didn't matter. There was no time to wonder where they were or when they would arrive.

He and Kagome had reached Mugen Academy.

There, on a single, jutting spire in the chaos of debris, stood a waiting figure wrapped in a white baboon pelt, obscuring the wearer's features.

Inuyasha and Kagome halted, staring in disbelief. Then, shocked, both shouted: "Naraku!?"

The figure began to cackle slightly. "Ku ku ku...."

Then Karasu whipped back the hood and grinned. "Scared you, didn't I?"

Inuyasha: Dammit, Karasu, that's not funny!

Karasu: What? I borrowed his kugutsu idea...why can't I borrow his fashion sense?

Inuyasha and Kagome: sweatdrops

Karasu: Ah, I guess you're right, fur is out this year....

* * *

Karasu actually does have better fashion sense than Naraku. A baboon pelt wearing character in this fanfiction...in a _Sailormoon_ universe...what would that create? Sailor Baboon?

And now we really are at the end. Be prepared for the grand finale next chapter.

Til then.  
~Queen

* * *

Coming up next, in Chapter 29: Apoptosis-

Before any of them could breathe a word, the Glaive was lifted to the air.

And then it fell.


	29. Apoptosis

Of This World And Yesterday

_For some, life turns out badly: a poisonous worm eats its way to their heart._  
_Let them see to it that their dying turns out that much better._  
_Some never become sweet; they rot already in the summer._  
_It is cowardice that keeps them on their branch._  
_Thus spoke Zarathustra._  
_-Nietzsche_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 28- Apoptosis

She was breathless.

Behind her, she could hear the swift footsteps of Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Chibimoon, running forward at the same manic pace, every stride picking up speed until they nearly flew over the ground, the only evidence that they had not left it being the sound of their feet contacting the cement. A vast curtain wall had formed overhead, and she had recognized it as the handiwork of her friends, the other senshi. It was reminiscent of the last time they fought the Death Busters, of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto erecting a shield between the three banks of the Delta Triangle they stood upon. Its presence urged them to hurry, and as they fell upon the site of their old battle, Sailor Moon a step in the lead, they saw Inuyasha and Kagome on the street, their enemy standing on her old crystal pillar turned black.

There she had stood and used her power to return the land to what it had been; complete and whole, without the touch of the Silence Glaive. There, as Serenity, she really had felt like a Messiah, encased in the silver glow of her Crystal, bringing rebirth to the land.

Now it seemed corrupt. Her shining crystal pillar had turned to obsidian, and upon it stood Karasu, her raven familiar on her shoulder and a weapon in hand. A few steps more, and they were beside Inuyasha and Kagome. A few steps more, and she was close enough to see what it was that Karasu held in her thin hands.

_"The Silence Glaive!"_

The scream did not come from Sailor Moon's throat, but from Chibimoon's, horrified and frightened, strangled. Saturn's Silence Glaive in the hands of their enemy. That wasn't right...where was Hotaru? Why did she not have her weapon in hand? The thoughts spun in Chibimoon's mind, tilting and crashing against each other as various scenarios played through her imagination in an instant. Saturn was dead, unconscious, hurt, lying somewhere, alone. She should have gone back after the fight with Tellu, she'd known she should have, but she hadn't. Her best friend had needed help, and she'd turned the other way.

Out of instinct, the younger girl began to bolt forward, her scepter upraised to attack. Strong arms suddenly seized her, pulling her back, and as she struggled, she realized Tuxedo Kamen had grabbed her, keeping her from running forward recklessly. Sailor Moon had taken a place slightly in front of them, bracing herself for a fight.

Inuyasha and Kagome watched the youngest senshi fight the grip of the man for a moment, then stop, shoulders sagging slightly as she calmed down. Though Chibimoon's panicked reaction had caught their attention for a moment, they could also see a change slip over the features of Sailor Moon. They'd only seen flashes of her more serious side, fragmented moments that had given them an idea of her power. Now, the somber look seemed out of character for her, someone usually smiling. Her words were oddly spoken, accented with concern and worry, though anger was lending a hardness to her usually soft voice.

"Where is Saturn?"

Above them, Karasu arched a fine eyebrow, focus slipping partially away from the other two and onto the senshi. She was careful to keep an eye on the hanyou. If he noticed a second of inattention, he'd strike, and though she could block that Kaze no Kizu thing with the Glaive, she didn't entirely trust it. What she had said about it not liking her was true; her youki was clashing with the raw destructive power. The Glaive knew she was not its mistress, and was attempting to fight her. Karasu had anticipated that, and in some ways had hoped for it. The stronger the clash, the more powerful the destructive wave she should be able to send.

But to those below her, she called back, "Oh, she's around. Sooner than I imagined she would be, Princess." The last word was spoken with a coy amusement, making light of the honorific. "According to Evermore here," she petted his neck and shrugged, "she's partially responsible for making that shield up there. Really though, it's your friends," she turned and caught Kagome's eye, "that you need to worry about. Saturn wasn't feeling all that well when she tried to heal them. The taiji-ya's taking one of Viluy's hits had a most interesting result. I'd be so disappointed if she died from lack of proper healing."

From beside him, Inuyasha heard Kagome catch her breath slightly and murmur Sango's name in concern, the tautness of her drawn arrow lessening somewhat. Karasu was making fun of them, mocking, and it pissed him off. Kaze no Kizu had been blocked when he'd rushed her, and it made him look stupid falling back down. She reeked of the death stench of carrion birds, though mingled with that was Saturn's smell, of freshly turned soil. A more pleasant deathly smell, more natural.

Was that shield formed from Saturn's power? Or of Karasu's? If Karasu's, then could he turn it back on her? If Saturn's, then could he try to find a way to break it?

Tuxedo Kamen had loosened his grip on Chibimoon, and they had straightened themselves up beside Sailor Moon. Their battle line seemed oddly empty, while the enemy seemed perfectly content to stand above them with confidence. She seemed to need no one, or want no one. Her battle seemed to be strangely for herself to Sailor Moon, a selfish fight she didn't understand. Her behavior seemed erratic, and she seemed to hate everyone and everything. If she was a Death Buster, why not help them? If she hated the Death Busters, why fight the senshi? She alienated herself from everyone, people who were like her, or willing to be allies if she hadn't tried to kill them.

She called herself a Death Buster, but wasn't. She called herself a Magus, but rejected where she came from. She called herself a youkai, but until recently, she was the only one that Sailor Moon had ever seen. It left her so alone.

"You're lonely?" Sailor Moon asked, beginning to feel she was correct. "You're the last Death Buster...one of the last youkai, too, aren't you?"  
Karasu's expression became icily blank, and her ebony eyes settled a silent stare at the senshi of the Moon. Down the time she had watched, she had seen a kind of empathy from the future Moon Princess. An ability to befriend and to sympathize with those she counted as friends, and even when the other senshi were opposing her, sense that they too wished to work as a team. But empathy was limited, and gave only a limited amount of information.

"Lonely? Yes, Princess, I am lonely. For five hundred and fifty years, I've lived on this planet alone. Maybe I am tired of being lonely. Should I tell you my sob story, Sailor Moon? Should I tell you about how depressing my life is, and wrench tears from your pitying heart?" On her blank face, a faint sneer formed, relaxing into a smirk. "No. I will not. After this is all done, and I complete what I set out to do, or you somehow defeat me as you have with your other enemies before, I will let you sit down and try to reason out what I do. Maybe I just hate the Death Busters and want to show them I can succeed where they failed. Maybe I want to create a new world for myself. Maybe I just hate humans. Or maybe I'm just playing games with you, and enjoying myself."

Her dispassionate eyes flicked from Sailor Moon, Chibimoon and Tuxedo Kamen and back to Inuyasha and Kagome. "Unlike your other enemies, I won't allow you the satisfaction of knowing if my motives are evil, merely selfish, or the actions of a coward not yet ready to die like the rest of her race." A darkly amused laugh chuckled from her throat, and a sickly smile formed on her lips, as her raven familiar took to wing, soaring upward. Her ebony eyes met Inuyasha's golden ones. "Hanyou. You should know that I lied. I'd never ask you to join me. Your heart is far too human."

Before any of them could breathe a word, the Glaive was lifted to the air.

And then it fell.

* * *

His hand looked very small against the expanse of glass in the upstairs window, and taking his paw from it, Shippou noticed the light, crescent tipped prints left where he had touched the surface. Sitting on the windowsill wasn't uncomfortable. He was still small enough to sit precariously on the ledge, to tap his fingers against the glass and look out over the empty street. Over the tops of the other houses, he could see that the sky was a nasty shade of black, setting his nerves on edge, hair prickling on end. No one was out, staying inside where there was a feeling of safety. He was glad he was 'safe' but at the same time he felt a little left out of things.

"They're fighting by now," Luna told him from where she had perched herself on the other end of the sill. He could see her pale reflection in the windowpane, and shrugged. The three cats had arrived not long ago, scratching at the front door to catch the attention of anyone inside. They'd joined him in his small vigil, Luna taking up a seat on the window while Diana curled herself up on the soft edge of Setsuna's bed. Artemis was sitting on the carpeted floor, tail twitching anxiously. Occasionally, he would stand and pace, then sit down again somewhere else, still fidgeting. "We'll wait it out."

"Don't you ever get tired of just doing nothing?" Shippou retorted glumly, looking at Setsuna. She was just lying there. He could have gone with Kami after all, be doing something. Anything. Artemis' jumpiness was getting to him, and he could feel his own tail twitching in unison with the tomcat's. "Usually I'm at least somewhere around and not just playing babysitter to a vegetable."

That promptly earned him three sharp frowns from the cats, and he looked at the ground and appeared embarrassed.

"Sorry."

"It's just because you're little too," Diana informed him, lifting her head from the sheets and looking at him. "Small Lady took a long time to train, because she needed practice fighting. And she can fight much better now than when she first got here."

Artemis suddenly took up his pacing again, head down and watching the carpet pass beneath his padded paws. "I'm sure Chibimoon is doing fine, Diana. Shippou, I'm sure you've learned some things from just being with the others in your group."

"Feh, I can't fight like that, I'm too little," he said irritably, glancing at Setsuna. The room was a jumble of history, decorated with bits of old artwork, paintings on the walls with heavy frames and with old, eclectic shaded lamps emitting light from stained glass, patterning the walls with rich colors. The senshi herself was cast in a warm glow, her bronze skin catching the warm, Bohemian reds and gleaming slightly in the dark. Her deep emerald hair spilled across the pillow and fell across the sheets, pooling around her slim arms. She seemed remarkably still, and yet lifelike, an ancient statue painted in rich colors. A Galatea just about to draw her first breath.

Then the room began to shudder. Pictures on the walls shivered on their hooks, and the lamps jittered on their stands, rocking to and fro, precariously. They were on their feet, Shippou and Luna leaping off the glassy windowsill as Diana dove off the bed, only to be shoved, protesting, beneath it by her future father. One of the pictures broke from its nail, shattering on the floor and kicking up shards of glass into the air.

"Kitsune bi!"

A green-blue swirl of light puffed out around the bed as the glass broke, bouncing off the foxfire shield. They huddled at the base of the bed as the tremors continued, Shippou's kitsune magic swirling around them as they heard other things in the house fall and shatter.

"Mom? Dad?" Diana called though the noise as she pushed herself out between them, nosing her way forward to see. "What's going on? This isn't an earthquake, it's taking too long!"

"Something is happening with Usagi-chan and the others," Luna told her, loudly enough to be heard over the rumbling of the earth. Outside, there was a deep cracking sound as the sidewalk began to fragment, and a tree split, falling to the ground with a splintering crash. "It feels like Saturn just dropped her Glaive!"

Shippou kept his shield going, but remembered what he'd been told about the various items the Outer Senshi carried. The thought of that thing falling made him feel a bit nauseous. Squeaking a bit, he shouted, "Don't joke about that! It's not funny! Waaaaah!"

His last cry was from noticing his shield was faltering, the swirls expanding and fading, caught up in a current of wind let in through the window as it broke, whipping the foxfire around wildly as it was pierced from within by a deep garnet light.

Blue gave way to crimson, a warm, rich glow that was expanding outward, increasing an area of calm in the room. It cast a scarlet shade against the broken bits of colored glass, catching and radiating, creating frozen sparks of fire scattered before their feet. Safe within the light, they were able to hear a single, familiar voice lifted, speaking a welcomed phrase.

"Pluto Crystal Power! Make up!"

* * *

The curtain wall beat against the hands of the senshi, standing in their various places around its circumference. From where each of them had been as the veil fell, they sensed its siren song, the call to join and to work as one. One by one, they turned and touched it, fingertips sending out pulses of pure magical power into the field, holding back the chaos that now reached them.

It was a crushing sensation, pushing and straining against their barrier though it held. Yet the wall of mist roiled, many colors churning as the world within sank into silence, the ground beneath their feet rumbling and pitching as the earth absorbed the blast released within. The shield bulged and struggled against the calm, brilliant power preventing its expansion, building its way upward as it sought a weak point in their dome.

Whispers sounded, and through their shared power, they were heard and echoed.

Don't give in....

Hold on longer....

I must be stronger.

This is my will.

And then another power touched the swirling mists of the dome, another mind blending into the echoing layers that transcended the link holding them. A delicate filigree began to shiver its way through the whorling mists, warm and glowing, pulsing like a star. It called to the others, a missing piece of their power, now returned and welcomed as it was rejoined. One by one, the magic of each girl formed from its hidden place, flowing out brightly and solidifying into a point of starry brilliance, shining strong and pure.

The curtain wall became translucent, its surface tipped with liquid rainbow colors, shifting and coursing over the darkness beneath.

And all within sank into the white wave of silence.

* * *

There was no sound.

It began as a pindrop, the light sound of metal touching obsidian and ringing faintly in the heavy air. It struck as a wave, consuming and devouring, a chaos that blinded the world. Now, the destruction's roar phased out the senses, muting the nothingness into a high, painful keen, the sound of soundlessness.

A trailing case of pale golden light flickered around her, and Kagome was aware she had squeezed her eyes shut sometime over the course of the last second, bracing herself against the impact of the Glaive. She could hear nothing over the silence, so loud it had become, and through a shell of thin light, she could see a dense wall of energy moving across the air. Solid, it was also transparent, moved by wind and pushed by swirling clouds of youki.

Inuyasha had turned as the blast hit, and had his back to Karasu, an arm around her to ward off the blow, while the other held Tetsusaiga out, bracing it against the catching winds. White hair streamed past her and she felt crushed in his grip. He was protecting her, shielding her out of instinct, though she didn't know how. And then she remembered as she noticed the source of their shield; it was easily forgettable. But as the wall of destruction blew its way forward, pale golden light had poured out from the sheath of Tetsusaiga, parting the wave. As she realized this, she turned her cheek slightly against the inside of his shoulder to see across from them, to see what had become of the senshi.

A blossom of bright pink light had formed, a streaming comet of energy that was flickering against the onslaught, parting it in a makeshift defense. Already the light was sputtering, dying against the overwhelming wave of destruction. But then it sparked and caught golden, the flame becoming a nova and growing stronger as Kagome realized that the defense she and Inuyasha shared was collapsing, the momentary brightness suddenly streaking and darkening as it was consumed, sucked away by the negative aura. It would not hold for long.

A scalding sensation brushed against her neck, and she felt the thin slivers of the Shikon no Tama burning against her skin, glowing brightly as it danced outside the fabric of her shirt. She could feel the dark energy brushing past her, and if she reached out, she could slip her fingers through one of the sliding openings of protective light around her, and touch it. Karasu didn't even need to have it in hand. She was expanding aura with the destructive force, feeding off its power and growing, her energy beginning to come into contact with the power of the Shikon. It was not whole...but at this rate, it wouldn't need to be. Once the sheath was overwhelmed, they would be unguarded. There had to be a way to stop this before that happened. A way to pierce it. A way to turn it back.

Though clasped tightly against Inuyasha, she still held her bow in hand, an arrow nocked to fly. Over his shoulder, she raised her head and peered through the dense vortex, scouring the ground of cement and sending it flying into the air, a whirlwind. Through a mesh of earth, cement and metal from Mugen's worksite, the dark figure atop the obsidian pillar could be seen, a shadowy silhouette that remained solid within the roiling chaos. The raven woman seemed far away, unreachable. Though as she sought out Karasu, Kagome felt as though she was being watched through unfathomable ebony eyes, observant and calculating, expectant.

What did she expect? To win? To lose? If she won, she had the world. A world clean of humans and free for her daimon-youkai hybrids to spread. If she died, then she needn't worry about what would happen to her. All or nothing. And she was still waiting to be defeated. This was her best. If, in this last second before they were swept away, she could be killed, then there was no retaliation left in her.

Inuyasha felt her movement, suddenly struggling against him. Though from the corner of his eye, he could see her lips move, he could not hear what she said over the absence of sound. But as she lifted her bow to fire, he began to understand. In the dying shield of the sheath, he felt her grow tense as she drew back the bolt and released, the arrow's flight high and true, sweeping upward as it caught alight, lavender sparkling from its tip and streaking backward as it purified a path toward its goal.

He followed the arrowhead's path though the chaos, and saw a pair of impassive black eyes tracing its course as well. She did not move, but watched as it drew closer, silently observing as the metal point pierced the destructive wave. It spun against the wall around Karasu, pushing against the clear surface. Inuyasha didn't wait to see if it would breach the shield or not. He struck.

Kaze no Kizu had be turned aside, spun away as though nothing. This place was filled with her youki, reeking of decay and of death. It swirled with the smell of earth, though the stench of rot plugged his nose and the wail of the wind drowned his ears. But through the center of it all was a tear, a purified tunnel left open by Kagome. If this place was filled with youki, then it was through that he could turn it back on its owner.

_"Bakuryuuha!"_

Inuyasha had to release Kagome to make the sweep with Tetsusaiga, and he stood before her, only to feel himself caught up in the howl of the silence, tearing at him as the circular winds released a stream of energy, consuming the air.

From within a globe of gold, Sailor Moon saw a nightmarish memory replay itself before her. Once again she was within the chaos, again within the storm of the silence, all sides caught in the scouring wind pitch. Here, for a moment, there was a center of calm, a haven within the expanding wave. Chibimoon had moved first, sending out a blast to part the onslaught, only to watch as her attempt was battered and tossed aside. Tuxedo Kamen was now holding her from behind, the smaller scepter Chibimoon carried as a weapon gleaming Mamoru's gold, a conduit for the father and daughter's power. Together, they were expanding their peaceful realm.

It was then that she saw Kagome's arrow fly out, and saw Inuyasha's lips move in a rough, silent battle cry.

A fleeting worry crossed her mind: What were they trying to do?

She could see a faint, half decimated glow around them. They were still alive, protected somehow, though as she watched the swing of the Tetsusaiga, it faltered and sputtered, overwhelmed as the winds around them suddenly shifted. They entered a vortex, air sucked away as a streak of golden light ripped though the path Kagome's arrow had cleft, cutting tendrils though the youki and drawing it in.

And then it burst. From where the flow had waved outward, it reversed like a riptide, spinning out of pattern and countering itself. It grew. And grew again, cyclones of negative energy consuming themselves and rearing skyward, towering upward as they churned back.

Kagome had grabbed onto Inuyasha's sleeve and he her wrist, the two of them bracing themselves in the storm they had created, feet dragging against the pavement in an effort to resist without a barrier for defense.

The tornados clashed and became larger, sweeping backward toward their source, and wiping out everything in their way. From within the roaring columns came a flash of jeweled light, and an explosion that sent shards of obsidian crystal flying upward into the gale. Through it sliced a weapon, black shafted and silver bladed, arching high in the screaming wind and impaling itself in the torn earth. It steamed.

Building towers of wind continued to feed off themselves, howling their fury into the empty space and sweeping up the things of the Mugen worksite. They grew stronger as they worked outward, pulling in the chaos.

Kagome opened her eyes narrowly, and saw through the obliterating attack Inuyasha had unleashed. Nothing was slowing the Bakuryuuha. There was an unusual element blended with the youki, the destructive force of Saturn, whose nature was to destroy. Though Inuyasha had turned it back on itself, the Bakuryuuha was feeding. Feeding not only on Karasu's youki, but on the aura of Saturn, sweeping it into itself and increasing infinitely. It was unstable, and ripping apart the world.

It was then a silver kiss of moonlight touched them, soft as a caress. Within the chaos they'd unleashed, Sailor Moon had lifted her scepter. From its tip poured a steady, gentle stream of light that pooled away from her, spreading like ripples in a moonlit pond. She was shining, translucent and ethereal, corporeal body swept aside to reveal a creature of pure magic. A white gown flowed around her, a thousand points of light defining the brilliance, radiating through her as she held her Silver Crystal aloft, pouring its energy into the storm.

Slowly, steadily, her wave began to spread, caught as well in the blackened pillars of the Bakuryuuha. Standing within the expanding circle of peace, Kagome felt warm. A gentle warm, unlike the burning that had touched her flesh where the Shikon no Tama lay against her skin. There, too, it was warm, glowing beautifully, glowing divine. Within this place, she was watching as the world was illuminated from within, the darkness fading and the storm calming. The absence of light and sound had returned with the Bakuryuuha. Now it was soothed, no longer howling and wailing fury, but quieting to a whisper as the pale, shining light washed away the dark.

It revealed a world fallen to rubble. High towers had crumbled, leaving half formed pillars in their wake. Lit by the soft moonlight, they were ghostly, windows and alleys a tangle of shadows.

The figure that had been Sailor Moon lifted her white arms upward, cupping the weighted end of her scepter and letting the light flow over her fingers. She was no longer Sailor Moon, but someone else. A princess, a moon princess, who held in her slim hands infinite power.

It was not still. The winds had faded and become a whisper, something else that carried magic. The moon princess turned to Inuyasha and Kagome, her head tilted slightly to the side as she smiled at them from blue eyes. She looked almost as though she would laugh as she said: "Don't worry. I've done this before. Saturn once told me, 'Always with the end, comes hope and rebirth.' So now will I bring that again."

The crystal in her hands was bare, the scepter faded away as she drew it close to her. It pulsated, a star that flooded its light across the empty space to fill it. And wherever it touched, things grew. Broken buildings creaked and groaned, fading as they rose back toward the smooth, translucent dome in the sky. The lucid shield withdrew, pulling back as the light flowed through it, rippling across the ground it protected.

That light spread, touching every corner of every place. It breathed and exhaled, had a heartbeat that drove it further, beyond the ring where the curtain wall had touched the ground. Flowing like the tide, the broken places were reborn, reconstructed.

In a further district, a tracery of light flowed its way up the steps of a sunset lit shrine, finding its way to an old, destroyed well. A large, leafy tree stretched ancient limbs to shade the torn place, and it was the only witness to its rebirth. Within the shattered ground, moonlight flowed not downward, but upward, out from another space in time. The ruin was touched by both moon and setting sun at once.

Though no roof sheltered the dry well, the distant shade of the Goshinboku let only dappled red light touch it again.

* * *

It was just before I wrote this chapter that I got to see Inuyasha first get the Bakuryuuha in the anime. Originally, I was not going to include the use of it in the ending, though after getting to see it in the anime, I decided to go ahead and do so. This is one of the reasons I don't like releasing fics before they're completed...once posted, it's hard to go back and thread the use and knowledge of such an attack through the fic. Its first mention in chapter 27 seems a bit abrupt due to that, and I apologize...it was a last minute change in the style of ending.

If any of you are biology people out there, you're probably wondering why I used the title 'Apoptosis' for this chapter. In a biological sense, apoptosis is cell death in the body. The term though is Greek, meaning 'falling leaves.' When I was trying to come up with a chapter title, I'd recently read an article in a magazine about the process, and how it suggests that death is as natural as leaves falling from the trees...and eventually leads to new life again.

Music for this chapter was various. '_Vespertine_' by Bjork, '_Karma_' by Delirium, and the second_ Inuyasha_ OST again.

I hope you've enjoyed the fic. That was pretty much the end, though there is a chapter 29 on the way, with a little wrap up. Too long for an Epilogue, I made it a chapter, though that is essentially what it is.

Any questions, comments and criticisms will be welcomed. Flames will be doused with a Shine Aqua Illusion, provided by Sailor Mercury. ^_^  
Hope you've had fun.  
Til the final chapter.

~Queen


	30. Affinity

Of This World And Yesterday

_Today has never happened and it doesn't frighten me...._  
_-Bjork, Alarm Call_

_

* * *

_

Chapter 29- Affinity

The blue sky expanded in all directions, reaching for the distant horizons of the land. From where each sat upon the green grass of the park, different people witnessed a quiet, peaceful evening, free of the clamor of the previous one. Free of the thundering skies and the eerie sensation they brought. One by one, people poked their heads out their windows and continued with their lives. News reports still brought attention to the strange weather from the previous day, and the bits of damage a miniscule earthquake had caused.

There was no earthquake. Reason demanded some logic to the handful of new cracks in the sidewalks, not there before the storm. Only a handful knew of the previous day, already slipping into the past of most memory.

A battle, a witch, a raven.

In the afternoon sunlight, a man-made lake in the park's center glittered with the hardness of liquid diamonds, clear and blue. Wide and circular, a few people were taking an afternoon jog, chatting as they ran. There was a clear area around the bend in the lake, a knoll claimed by a fairly large group of picnickers, arrayed out across the green. The handful of clouds in the sky tossed dancing shadows across them, lighting then darkening their chosen spots on the wind shifting grass. Three of the group sat on the crest of of the hill, watching the others below them as the land sloped downward towards the soup bowl of the lake. These were the eldest and the youngest of the circle of senshi, Setsuna, Hotaru, Chibiusa. The grey kitten Diana was perching herself upon the pink haired one's head, hanging on between the odango. She was starting to get a bit large for this, but it was still a good vantage point to see.

"I'm just glad you woke up, Puu," Chibiusa was saying as Diana settled herself. She drew her knees up, tucking them under the hem of her skirt and beaming at her older friend. "You were out so long, it was strange fighting without you."

The guardian of Time gave the girl a wry smile, arching an eyebrow. "It feels like I missed half the battle, for only sleeping two days. You didn't think I'd let you fight without me, did you, Small Lady?"

Chibiusa grinned, shrugging. "No, probably not. Still, I wish you could have seen me take out Tellu's plant thing," she continued, mimicking her motions at the ground with an imaginary scepter.

Flipping herself forward, Diana poked her head down in front of Chibiusa's, tail sticking awkwardly into the air and wriggling. "I'm sure it was a wonderful battle, Small Lady. But you still have to be careful, even if you are a senshi."

"I know, I know," she muttered, though not without a bit of amusement. Diana was starting to sound like her mother. Chibiusa's cinnamon eyes slid past Setsuna and settled on Hotaru for a moment. Her friend had been exceptionally quiet about her battle the previous day. She looked pale, tired, a way Chibiusa hadn't seen her like for awhile, not since she was reborn from their battle with the Death Busters. It reminded her of when she became Saturn for the first time. Hotaru hadn't wanted to speak of yesterday, though slowly pieces had come together, from the muted bits Hotaru spoke of and of Miroku's testament after he woke up.

A kugutsu of Tomoe Souichi, Hotaru's father. The general consensus was that Saturn had acted correctly; a kugutsu had to be destroyed, or it would cause harm. Her extreme reaction was unexplained until an anxious Kami had examined the mysterious black box brought in along with Sango and Miroku. The negative aura swirling around the thing was so twisted that she picked it up, ran it outside, transformed, then dropped her naginata on it before anyone could stop her. Her only explanation was that it caused "very bad karma" and had to be destroyed.

Sango and Miroku seemed to have taken the brunt of the battle. Though others had taken a few bumps over the course of their fights, Miroku was unconscious until late that evening, and Sango until dawn. The healthier ones set out to find them and their missing weaponry, namely Uranus and Neptune who knew where they fought, having left them to take up their own fight. A few hours passed before everyone was able to collapse, having scrambled to check up on family or collect missing members.

Though the Glaive was safely back within Hotaru's possession, Chibiusa saw the tightness of her expression, and the distance in Hotaru's purple eyes. She was worried about it, and the younger girl didn't really know what to do. She knew what it was like, to become something other than what she was. Wicked Lady, a twisted adult form of herself. Though this was not Mistress 9 bothering Hotaru, but a lingering feeling that she had killed her father. She knew perfectly well she hadn't. The kugutsu was a fake, something unreal, made of earth and clay, a mockery created by a witch. Looks the same, sounds the same, but not the same. Though the resemblance was enough. How could she not see her father?

"Setsuna-mama," Hotaru asked, raising her voice quietly for the first time that day. She sat with her knees tucked up under her chin, arms wrapped around her legs. "Do you know how their story ends, in the past?"

Garnet colored eyes swept across the scene below, considering the various groups. It was easy to pick out the littlest first. Shippou and Kami were at the lakeside, playing by kicking a ball between them and running back and forth in their game. Sango and Miroku had taken up a sunny spot on the ground, halfway up the slope, sitting back to back, with Kirara curled up at Sango's feet. Occasionally, wind would carry a few words to those sitting on the top of the hill, though they spoke little. Inuyasha and Kagome were sitting with Usagi and Mamoru, obscured by the trailing fronds of a weeping willow above them. The remains of their picnic lunch were scattered on the cloth beneath them, and Usagi was polishing off another plate.

"The past is fluid, even as the future is," Setsuna replied, tucking a stray lock of hair back behind her ear. "Everything changes as they change it. Had Kagome not been pulled into the well as she says, then Inuyasha may well have slept to this day. Had you," she glanced at Chibiusa meaningfully, slightly scolding, "not stolen my timekey and come here, then the future would have altered."

"Puu, you're not answering her question," Chibiusa commented dryly, arching an eyebrow at the older woman. Setsuna smiled and chuckled, unfolding her arms and setting them into her lap.

"Things may change for them. I have to admit, I've looked to the past, to see what their future holds, and why. I see a great mountain, and a fierce battle within. Other faces they may know, but I do not recognize. One with white hair, such as his," she focused on the currently disguised black hair of Inuyasha. "And the man I believe they've called Naraku, who wears the white pelt of a baboon."

"A baboon?" Chibiusa laughed, arching her eyebrows. "What, is he a monkey youkai?"

Setsuna bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I doubt that, Small Lady. No stranger than some of the things we've seen, I'm sure." The younger girl shrugged and Setsuna glanced down at her adopted daughter. The slant of her hair cut across her chin sharply, and there was a thoughtful look on her face instead of the distant one. "Hotaru-chan?"

"You'll reestablish the temporal warp for them today, won't you, Setsuna-mama?" It was as much statement as question, earning her a slight nod in acknowledgment. "What causes it? That can't be a normal thing, a ripple in time. Something strong would have to tear the fabric of the fourth dimension, even for a slight wormhole."

What could cause a time warp? And why in a well? Was that merely a gateway, or was significance attached to it? The Goshinboku tree near the warp could have served as a doorway. If only the two of them could cross, then one of them touching the tree could serve as well. Why not that? She shook her head, clearing it of technical possibilities and daydreams. "They haven't told us everything about themselves. Nor have we told them everything about us. Kagome would need some link to the past...the Shikon no Tama would be a good key, but the question is, is it only a key? Or a key at all? If the two of them had met in the past, formed a bond, perhaps...and through time, their souls kept in contact...then perhaps their souls found a way to transcend the barrier of time."

"That's so romantic!" Diana chimed in wistfully, looking towards the swaying willow and the figures beneath it. "Just like the princess and prince!"

"And all of us," Hotaru added, taking a breath and releasing her legs. She rolled back her shoulders and lifted her face upward to the sky, skin reflecting the light. A bit of weight shed from her, and a small smile touched her lips. "We all came to the same place, at the same time. Even those of us from far away," she finished, thinking of the Outer planets and how far they seemed during the fall of the Moon Kingdom. "Maybe we're not so different."

"Time travel, magic powers, reincarnation, mikos, magical swords, girls in school uniforms, fighting, connected souls, powerful crystals, the fate of the world at stake..." Chibiusa ticked off on her fingers, glad to see Hotaru had begun to slip back out of her shell. "Nope, nothing alike at all," she winked. "We just have frillier costumes and more girls."

Hotaru smiled at Chibiusa's flippancy, and looked down the slope below her. Kami and Shippou were still playing kemari on the water's bank. It looked fun, but she still didn't feel like getting up. Instead, she sat and watched as the ball popped up again, soaring into the air.

* * *

Running, Shippou headed for the ball in the air. For what should have been a stately game, they'd begun to kick the ball harder and further, just for the fun of running on a sunny day. Most of the week, excepting the uneventful time he spent with Inuyasha staring at Kagome's school, he'd been cooped up within the home of the Outer senshi. Mostly, he hadn't minded. There were more than enough things to keep him occupied in the house, with all the machines and inventions, particularly the television thing and the various shows it presented.

"Got it!" Sliding under it, his foot connected with the underside of the soccer ball, and in a whirl of white and black checkers, it went up again. Not the deerskin ball of kemari in his era, but this soccer ball worked just as well. He felt a little awkward wearing shoes. Though he was outside, naturally he had to disguise himself. A fox-footed and tailed kitsune- even a little boy kitsune- would be noticed by someone. It seemed a little odd, worrying about disguises after all the blatantly obvious magical fighting crashing through the skies on the previous day, but he listened to the others and made himself look human anyway. A ten year old boy, a little short for his age, but with unruly brown hair and bright green eyes, wearing baggy jeans and a navy blue tee shirt, little leaves printed on it. Plenty large enough to play kickball with a twenty year old reincarnated ghost girl.

Life was weird sometimes. But then, how many people fought evil hell-named half youkai made up of infinite amounts of _other_ youkai, with the ability to split themselves into rather nasty detachments that were always causing trouble?

Yes, life was definitely weird.

"Kami! Incoming!"

She tended to miss the ball often, not being very fast. Near the water's ledge, her eyes turned upward, squinting, trying to track the ball as it spun in the air, vanishing into the sunlight. A half step to the left, then again to the right as she tried to get ready for a return kick. She was several steps away from where it landed with a splash, sending droplets of water geysering upward, glittering. The ball rolled in the water, floating away idly.

"I can get it," Shippou offered. In this form, he could wade out into the little lake, pick it up and come back. He headed forward, watching as the ball began to slip further in.

"No, no, don't go into the water, Shippou-kun!"

Shippou froze, suddenly remembering their first meeting at the river by her old home, the old mansion. She looked like a little girl, no older than he at the moment, wearing old fashioned robes and purple ribbons in her hair. The reflection he saw in the water had been of this girl, older though not in modern clothing. The repetition startled him, giving him pause as Kami moved forward, kicking off her shoes and pulling up the hem of her skirt as she waded in up to her knees, long hair puddling on the water's surface.

A moment later, she released the edge of her denim skirt, letting it touch the water as she picked up the ball and turned around with a smile, the ball dripping back into the lake. "I have it, Shippou-kun. Gomen nasai, I'm too clumsy with this game."

"T...that's all right," Shippou allowed, still staring. The reflection around her was as it should be, a girl in the clothes of this time, denim skirt and white blouse, tilting her head to the side as her smile broadened a bit, and she tossed the soccer ball up into the air.

"Catch!"

And he did.

* * *

Closing her eyes on the image of Shippou and Kami, Sango tried not to exhale. She was still tired, and her skin bore faint pock marks still, from the blast she received from Viluy. Looking down at her arms and outstretched bare legs, they were periodic and light, fading but still visible. It was warm out, almost hot, though the cool breeze kept away sweat and felt refreshing. Kirara was curled up at her feet, sleeping lazily in the sun's warmth, tail twitching every few moments in the throes of a pleasant dream. It was only Sango's back that was overheated, but she didn't particularly feel like losing her backrest just yet. This was a comfortable warmth. Miroku was sitting just behind her, facing the opposite direction, an arm resting on a bent knee as he looked at everything, but saw very little. His only outfit torn beyond repair yesterday, he looked a bit awkward in one of Mamoru's suits, minus jacket and tie, though the crisp white sleeves were rolled up out of a desire for coolness.

Sango gave up and sighed.

The sound made him turn his head, able to see her out of the corner of his vision. "Sango? Are you feeling ill again?"

"No, houshi-sama, I'm fine. Just tired."

"You're certain?"

She chucked once, a bit dryly and turned away to look ahead of her. The cool shade of the trees looked inviting, shadowy and dim. Though noisy, with the chatter of those still eating not far away. The picnic lunch Makoto had packed was delicious, as she'd begun to expect from the senshi's master culinary expert. Kagome could bring wonderful foods from this world, but most of it was in cans or packages of some kind. Various other tasty foods were presented to her now, sweet and sour and filling, delicate and heavy, depending on the item offered for her to taste. She was full, lethargic. Under the sun's heated gaze, she didn't want to move. "Yes, houshi-sama, I'm certain. Just tired."

He hesitated a moment as though to question it again, then turned back to his own mental wanderings, in the opposite direction from her. Sango remembered waking up early that morning. Dawn had already come, and she was disoriented at first, opening her eyes to see a blank white ceiling above her, a light fixture just off to the side, glass covering the bulbs decoratively. Still in this era, still in Kagome's world. Not a dream, and the dull pain that ached through her skin confirmed that. It took her a moment to place herself, realizing she had been laid down to sleep on one of the western style beds in the home of the Outer senshi. A light sheet lay over her, and she felt stuffed, noticing that gauzy bandages had been placed on her hands and a few other places on her body. They smelled of antibiotic salve.

Turning her head, she saw Miroku sitting beside the bed on a chair, facing her. His arms were folded, head bobbing in sleep. Someone had brought him his houshi robes, and he had changed into them. It was strange, displaced, seeing her usual houshi-sama against a background of books from this era, sitting on a wooden dining room chair and dozing as red daybreak streamed through the girlish curtains, creating odd, lacy patterns of light and shadow on his face and hers.

_"Would you die to protect someone you love?"_

She supposed she had answered Michiru's question.

Despite feeling ill, there was a slightly nervous giddiness that was filling her stomach, a bizarre acknowledgment of something she already knew. Why else get mad every time he looked at another girl? Baka...such a baka. Baka. Fool. Her, or him? Probably both. She felt silly and excited at the same time. Happy, but stupid. Life was certainly weird sometimes. Falling for the sukebe houshi. What on Earth was she thinking?

"Sango?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, and turned part way to see an angle of his face. "Eh?"

"Thank you, for what you did."

Blinking, she sat herself up a bit straighter, curious. He was sitting stiffly, arms folded and eyes staring outward toward the empty expanse of grass beyond him. The wind tossed the leafy trees in the distance, and his eyes watched them ripple. It had been backwards. All backwards.

_"It's hard to lose someone you love."_

Damn the senshi anyway. What right did they have, telling him what he felt?

_"I'm not afraid to die. It's not as scary as most people think. It can be a relief. But I don't think it was her time. Or mine. Or yours."_

Saturn, the senshi of death and destruction, he was told. He didn't know everything of their story. Snippets and snatches. Did that one know what it was like, to live as though about to die any moment?

Damn them. Love and justice. Damn them all.

Turning his head to the side, he could see Sango's slightly puzzled face looking at him, cheeks a little pink. She looked pretty that way. More so in the dark of morning, with her black hair fanned out on the white pillow. He'd like to wake up like that in the mornings, leaning over her sleeping form. Maybe he was being perverted again, but he didn't care. He wanted to run his hands over her and kiss her when he wanted, lay on a futon beside her and love her when it was dark outside, and quiet. Instead of announcing that, something sure to earn him another slap to the face, he said, "If ever the situation is ever reversed, I would do the same."

A nervous grin appeared on her face. "Next time we're surrounded by youkai and about to die, I'll remember that, houshi-sama."

"Let's just hope that doesn't have to happen," he replied, slowly grinning back and reaching around.

"Houshi-sama, do you want me to tell Makoto what you're doing?"

The idea of an angry Sailor Jupiter storming over and electrocuting him played in his mind for a moment. He then removed his hand from her thigh with a sigh. So much for running his hands over her.

Sango shook her head. Sukebe houshi.

* * *

"They're just so _cute!_" Minako was saying as she leaned forward, a cornflower blue eye peering through the small window of a disposable camera. She pressed the black button on the camera's top, and with a click, she captured another final moment of the great Last Day for their visitors. This particular picture would be of Sango shaking her head and groaning, while Miroku attempted to look innocent. Satisfied with the situation, Minako went back to munching on her ice cream cone, pleased with her work.

Makoto shook her head, following Minako's happy gaze. A few minutes ago, Minako had decided she had a sudden craving for neapolitan, due to the returning warm temperatures. Ami had the unfortunate luck to be sitting beside the goddess of love when she decided this, and was dragged resolutely along on the Quest for Ice Cream. Makoto, reacting to Ami's plea for freedom, tried to rescue the blue haired girl. Rei sighed and decided to tag along, appointing herself chaperone of the great Quest. The four of them had been successful, finding a good size vendor and ordering waffle cones.

"I don't get it," Makoto shrugged, eyeing the two down on the grassy slope for a moment skeptically. "Eechi."

"Oh, come on, Mako-chan," Minako elbowed her. "You helped get them out of Hotaru-chan's school. You know how we found them, and he stayed with her all last night. Admit it, you can't tell me that isn't sweet!"

Makoto's reaction was a noncommittal shrug, and to bury her nose in her own raspberry sorbet cone. The heat was melting the frosty food, and dribbles were running down her fingers, making them pinkly sticky. "I guess."

"They are dedicated to each other," Ami commented, though her gaze was resting with a faint smile on Inuyasha and Kagome beneath the tree, rather than Sango and Miroku. She licked her lips, tasting the lingering sweetness of carmel. "They haven't finished fighting their enemy, you know. That Naraku person they've mentioned before will be waiting for them on the other side of the well. It doesn't seem right, sending them home only to fight more battles."

Polishing off her chocolate fudge waffle cone, Rei buffed her nails on the bottom of her shirt, making sure there were no residual brownie chunks on her fingers. "Well, we can't just go back in time and beat the guy up for them. We're not the only heroic people in all of history. Who knows how our showing up in the sengoku jidai would warp the timeline? We've messed with it enough."

"I know," Ami sighed reluctantly. "Today, a common enemy and a future yet to be decided. Yesterday...should not be tampered with."

"It still stinks," Makoto agreed, frowning as she tried to keep her ice cream from running away from the cone. "Though I do wonder where all the youkai are. I doubt they're all gone. Inuyasha's not too bad, and Shippou's harmless. I really doubt humans went and hunted youkai or anything like that."

Startled, Ami looked at her. "Why not? The impression most would have of youkai would be that they are demonic and evil. A thing to be hated and exterminated. If humanity were spreading, we would have viewed them as a threat to our welfare and have tried to fight them. Is that not what Sango does for a living?"

"Yeah, I guess, but they didn't exactly have modern weaponry in the sengoku jidai, Ami-chan," Minako reminded her a little warily. "Besides, Sango only kills the evil youkai."

Ami's lips drew into a thin frown and she looked down at her ice cream, deciding to be silent. She didn't know what really happened to the youkai, and without all the information, it would be difficult to decide what logic suggested. Youkai were animalistic in nature. Did it make a wolf evil to kill for dinner? She shuddered at the thought of a human as a dinner. Karasu saw herself as the last of her kind. At least, that was Ami's view. Why else act as she had? Creating a kind of biological ark, making other hybrids like her. Everything she had done was two pronged. If she had been successful, then she would have been the most advanced and intelligent of the hybrids, their leader, presumably. If she failed, then she would be dead, and not have to worry about it anyway. She would, presumably, be in the same place as all the other dead youkai. Either way, she wouldn't be alone.

The pieces seemed to fit. The Glaive to exterminate humanity, the Shikon no Tama to expand her power and ensure her place as a leader.

"Sorry," she apologized, voice soft and still thoughtful.

"It's okay, Ami-chan," Rei told her, then decided, "We'd better get back. Usagi-chan's probably finished off all the food by now and...."

"Oy!"

Interrupted, Rei and the other three Inner Senshi turned to see Haruka and Michiru cruise along not far behind them, coming to a stop and climbing out as they parked. Minako shoved the last of her ice cream into her mouth and chomped as she whipped out her camera again, snapping a picture of the other two senshi as they arrived, Haruka casual as always and Michiru in a gauzy green sundress. Popping back up from her photography pose, the red-ribboned blonde waved in greeting. "You made it!"

"Yeah," Haruka grinned mischievously, glancing at Michiru. "She couldn't decide what lipstick to wear."

"Actually, Haruka couldn't find her shoes," Michiru countered dryly, folding her arms and giving the other girl a look. "I told you that you left them in the library."

"Eh, well, that's an odd place for me to leave them." Haruka shrugged sheepishly, looking around. "We miss everything?"

"Just lunch," Makoto informed her.

"If there's any leftovers," Rei added sourly, "Usagi's probably finishing them off now. If you hurry you might get something. Otherwise, I think your car will help everyone back to Higurashi Jinja, since we'll be going there together. Kagome's mother said she wanted to get back tonight if everything had settled down, so we should get everything situated before then. She recognized Ami and Usagi, even if she doesn't know who they are. Having all of us show up with them there will be a little more than a tip off." She arched an eyebrow at the more recognizable concert violinist and junior racer. "Particularly those of us who've made it into magazines?"

"Well, then let's try wrestling the food from the odango," Haruka nodded with an understanding grin, heading down towards the shady tree below.

* * *

Kagome curled up a little bit, balancing a bowl and chopsticks in her hands from where she sat, wedged contentedly between one of the larger roots of the willow and Inuyasha. This was a bit more like how she had wanted to see everyone stay in her era, even if for a little while. Sango and Miroku were seeming to get along, despite a recent wandering hands attempt on Miroku's part, not unusual. Shippou was running around looking like a human, playing as a kid should. And she was sitting beside Inuyasha, eating Makoto's absolutely delicious picnic lunch on a beautiful day, below a graceful willow tree beside a gleaming blue lake. It was a bit odd, seeing him human still, during the day and dark haired. Fortunately the Luna Pen hadn't put him back in the nonexistent prep school uniform, and instead in a white tee shirt and a pair of cargo pants. He was insisting on barefoot, and she had joined him, kicking off her own sandals. It was nice out, a little too warm, but not completely uncomfortable.

She wanted to pause time for a little bit, lean back against Inuyasha and just enjoy the sense of normalcy.

"Ne, Kagome?" Usagi asked, trying to catch her attention. The other pair were still with them, the future Moon Princess chowing down on whatever was left. Mamoru was sitting just behind her, apparently accustomed to the quantities being consumed and watching it with faint amusement. Usagi was holding out one of the last plastic containers, a little wet from the melted ice in the cooler she produced it from. "There's still some potato salad left...."

Kagome tried not to smile and failed. At least Usagi realized she had eaten more than everyone else. This was apparently an attempt to ask permission to polish off the last of it. "Oh, no, it's all right. You finish it. I'm about full. I can't believe that I'm home, and I'm sitting here eating ramen again. It seems wrong, somehow." She poked at the few remaining noodles and twirled them onto her chopsticks. Usagi, delighted, popped open the lid and dug into the food.

"Wha's rong w' rmen?" Inuyasha asked Kagome with his mouth full. Makoto had packed an extra large bowl of it especially for him, and though he was eating at a breakneck pace, he wasn't quite finished yet. With a swallow, he wiped his mouth on the back of his arm. "I like ramen."

Kagome tried not to groan. She knew he liked ramen. The others knew he liked ramen. She was sure all the senshi knew by now that he liked ramen. "I know, Inuyasha. We have it all the time, though."

"So?"

Kagome sighed and set aside her bowl. Deciding to change the topic, she looked at Mamoru, considering Usagi was still forking potato salad into her mouth. "I'm glad we decided to do this before going back. It's a nice change. At least they know this time isn't always full of mayhem," she finished, glancing first at Inuyasha, then Sango, Miroku and Shippou beyond.

Mamoru grinned slightly. "Actually, it's crazier than it looks." He leaned around Usagi as she looked up, finishing the last of the salad. "We manage to handle things, somehow."

"Just leave it to us!" Usagi declared happily, setting aside the empty container and plastic fork she'd been using. Her countenance sobered slightly as she continued, "You need to worry about your time."

"Feh. We don't need any help," Inuyasha shot back confidently. "I can handle anything." Kagome elbowed him hard in the ribs while shooting him a dirty look. "Oy! What was that for?"

As she opened her mouth to retort, Mamoru interrupted the argument before it began. "At least Karasu is gone, and you can return home in peace."

"Bitch," Inuyasha agreed, only to see Kagome and Usagi look away, both with odd expressions. "Kagome?"

"I kind of feel sorry for her."

He stared, trying to get a better look at her face. Was she out of her mind? Sorry for that bitch? "She tried to kill you!"

Usagi turned back sadly, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "But she was just lonely. So I feel sorry for her."

"Lonely, feh. Demented and evil."

Kagome began to get annoyed, but before she could speak, noticed how stiffly Inuyasha was sitting, and that his eyes were focused up on the high branches of the tree, willow fronds blowing lightly in the cooler breeze. His expression was tight, and she silenced herself, instead leaning against his arm and placing her hand on his shoulder for solace. Under the fabric of the light shirt, she felt him tense for a moment, then slowly relax.

She closed her eyes and exhaled, content.

Lonely? He wondered about that. That Karasu woman, who considered herself the last youkai on Earth. He doubted humans, even ones with advancements such as those in Kagome's time had, could truly kill them off. Ones like Sesshoumaru, at least, were just too damn stubborn to die. Like roaches, in his opinion, but then he never liked his brother very much. No matter how many times you smash them, they somehow manage to drive you insane later. Not that he'd ever exactly smashed Sesshoumaru, but the concept was amusing to consider.

There still had to be youkai out there somewhere. He wouldn't feel pity for that raven woman. Bitch tried to kill him, Kagome, and the others. She didn't deserve pity. Though being alone...he frowned, and tried to concentrate on keeping himself wedged tight enough between Kagome and the inside of the car door. They'd formed a caravan of cars, heading back towards Higurashi Jinja though the traffic that had thronged back to the streets. Stuffed into the backseat of Mamoru's car, he had grumbled about being shoved in so tight. Besides himself and Kagome, Sango and Miroku had been crammed into the back seat, the shotgun, frontseat position instantly claimed by Usagi, who was glad she didn't have to fight for it this time with Chibiusa. Sango seemed to be having the most problems, squirming to keep Miroku from leaning in too close. Inuyasha sniffed. Some things never changed. He might be jammed in, but at least Kagome didn't have to worry about him grabbing her. Except to maybe bring her farther from Sango, to lend the taiji-ya more room to escape any attempts from the houshi.

The air conditioning was on, and the windows up, so instead of sticking his head out to watch the passing buildings, he found himself leaning against the sun warmed glass, observing people walking along the sidewalks. This place was so big. Bright. Loud. He glanced at Kagome, who was trying to keep the other two backseat passengers calm. Usagi got into it a moment later, twisting around and half scolding Miroku, half babbling incoherently about how cute they all apparently were, which just made things worse.

Live here? Looking at Kagome in her own time, he wondered if he'd be able to do that. There was still a long way to go...Naraku would be awaiting them, yet to be killed. He'd been willing to give up his youkai side for Kikyou...the thought brought a serious, thoughtful frown to his face. That, though, was in his own era. Familiar. Here? He almost shuddered to think about living here.

Buildings passed by, casting shadows over the moving vehicle as Mamoru drove. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. On the other hand....

Karasu snapped, didn't she?

Of course, he wasn't her. Feh. There was still time to sort out whatever he needed to.

Higurashi Jinja pulled into view. At the top of the hill would be the well, and the route home.

People milled out of the cars parked along the sidewalk, swirling around and chattering with halfhearted cheer. Those going through the well were happy to be going through it. Though out of the crazy week they had spent in this era, there was a slight sense of remorse for leaving. They had fought a hard battle, won it, met allies and perhaps friends, as bizarre as each side rendered the other. Though perhaps any group of heroes were required to be eccentric. It took all kinds of different personalities and powers to make up a well rounded group.

Car doors and trunks slammed to a close, and the two groups raggedly made their way up the steps to the jinja, toting any items that belonged in the sengoku jidai. Mamoru had passed along a duffel bag to Miroku with his houshi robes, and the monk was carrying his shakujyou, trailing an empty handed Sango. Minako was still snapping pictures to document the last day's activities, and paused a few times to request a photo from someone.

As they reached the now open-air magically repaired well, Inuyasha and Kagome paused, the hanyou reaching into one of his pockets and drawing out a pink gem tipped pen with a satisfied smirk. "Oy, Usagi," Inuyasha called, catching the odango's attention. She turned with a blink and watched as he grinned at the thing. "I've been wanting to get rid of this stupid girly thing for awhile. Oy, pen. Make me look normal again."

From the tip of the pen came a swirling of white ribbon light, and this time Inuyasha did not look directly into the prism before the transformation receded. Within a moment, the tee shirt and cargo pants of an ordinary modern boy were replaced with his red clothing of the sengoku jidai, along with the characteristics of a hanyou- white hair, claws, ears and golden eyes- had returned. Kagome was trying not to laugh at the satisfied smirk her usual hanyou was wearing. Considering that he dropped the Luna Pen when he first used it, he probably was certain he had mastered the foreign magic only the leader of the senshi had made use of. Inuyasha reached out, grabbed Usagi's hand and smacked the pen back into it. No more transformations with swirly lights for him. Damn thing was too girly. It'd ruin his image.

"Thank you, Usagi," Kagome added for him, seeing how happy he was to be rid of it. "It did help a lot."

"Anytime!" the Moon Princess piped happily, looking for a pocket in her skirt. Realizing she had none, she scratched her head, then tugged on Mamoru's sleeve. "Ne, Mamo-chan...?" she asked, holding up the glittering pen. He shook his head, looking half exasperated as Usagi stuffed it into his shirt pocket and clung onto his arm.

Inuyasha tried not to snort. These senshi were so damn mushy about everything.

Haruka and Michiru had been tailing the rest, since Haruka was hauling a rather large boomerang over her shoulder on the way up. The thing was heavy, she had to admit, though was managing well enough with it. Michiru was calling for Sango to stop, and was carrying a large shopping bag in hand. Turning around, Kirara squeaked from where she was draped on Sango's shoulder.

"Your clothes and sword," the aqua haired woman explained as she handed over the bag with a smile, the weapon's hilt protruding from one end. "Kami-san washed your kimono, so it should be clean."

"And your boomerang," Haruka added, leaning in to swing the weapon around her shoulder. She gave Sango a slight grin and winked. "Too bad you're leaving so soon, ne? Could have had a...fun...practice session."

"What?" Sango's eyes widened and she looked a little confused for a moment, as the conversation was interrupted by Miroku suddenly clearing his throat and looming up behind her, watching Haruka warily. "Sango, we should be getting to the well."

Haruka just chuckled and wrapped an arm around Michiru, who was shaking her head at the tallest senshi. With a sigh, she commented as they began to walk away, "Have I told you you're incorrigible?"

"Not today..." came the response as they began to blend into the rest of the chattering senshi. Miroku and Sango were left to stare in their wake.  
"What a strange pair..." Sango remarked before she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her neck, sending Kirara leaping off her shoulder in alarm as the weight of an excited Aino Minako joined that of hiraikotsu.

"I can't believe you guys are going already!" Minako exclaimed, an arm around both Sango's shoulders and Miroku's, hanging between them. "Well, at least I did my job here...."

"Job?" Sango repeated, though Minako wasn't listening, currently with her eyes fixed across the courtyard and focused on Inuyasha and Kagome.

"I just wish I had more time for them. Too bad," she shook her head mournfully. Then, just as quickly, perked up with a full, beaming smile, squeezing them in a hug. "Well, lucky you!" Then she winked at Sango conspiratorially and whispered, "Don't do anything I wouldn't recommend. Of course, I _am _the goddess of love, so I recommend a lot and often."

With that, she launched herself forward, waving her camera in the air and calling for one last group picture. Beside her, Sango heard Miroku say, "Hurricane Aino."

"Eh?"

He blinked and looked at her. "Hits every once in awhile."

"I see...."

"Picture! Group picture!" Minako called, corralling everyone into a group with several waves of her hand. "Come on! Everyone line up! Get closer! You all have to fit! In front of the well, okay?"

After repeated calls, everyone managed to shuffle into a ragged line, still chattering as Minako tried to keep everyone inside the camera's viewfinder. It was an uneven line, and no one was looking at her yet as they arranged themselves into some semblance of order. Ami was repetitively suggesting the shorter ones get into the front, taller ones to the back. After a moment, Chibiusa and Hotaru edged their way forward, Hotaru standing in front of Kami, who had Shippou perched on her shoulder. Chibiusa stood in front of Ami, who was carrying Luna in her arms and had apparently adopted Artemis for the picture as well. The white cat was telling Diana to sit up straighter on Chibiusa's head, so that she could be seen between the pink buns of hair. Makoto had taken up a place on Ami's other side, with Rei next to her, frantically trying to comb her hair with her fingers before the photo was snapped. Setsuna quietly positioned herself just behind Rei, taking up one end. Haruka and Michiru were on the farther end, with Sango and Miroku between them and the other senshi. Kirara was reunited with Sango, now safely cradled in the crook of her arm. Usagi and Mamoru had taken their place in the center, dragging Inuyasha and Kagome along with them and situating themselves between Miroku and Kami.

Minako was smiling into the camera. It was funny, watching all of them in line, quickly arranging themselves, even the time displacements. They'd apparently gotten used to her photography over the course of the afternoon, and even understood what she meant when she finally called out, "Cheese!"

On cue, the chattering stopped, heads lifted and smiles formed at once. She'd regretted not spending more time working on Inuyasha and Kagome, but at the moment she wondered how much she would have needed to. Kagome didn't cling onto Inuyasha the way Usagi liked to hug Mamoru, but the hanyou was trying not to look embarrassed at the fact Kagome had an arm around his waist, and had draped his arm over her shoulders. She understood that Miroku's little wandering hands problem would slow down him and Sango...they just needed a good shove in the right direction...but what on Earth was holding Inuyasha and Kagome back? They seemed together, a couple most definitely, but it was as though something was always hovering around and interrupting a real, open romance. As she pressed down the button and snapped the picture, she wondered what it was. There were bits and pieces of the strangers story she'd been told, though she and the others had agreed that there was something important they were not telling. It must have been personal. Very personal.

"Okay!" she called cheerfully, another smile ready on her lips. "That's it for this roll!"

"Feh, finally," Inuyasha commented grumpily as the group broke apart. "Let's get out of here."

Kagome elbowed him. "Mou, don't be so rude, Inuyasha. We've imposed on them a lot."

"Eh...yeah," he reluctantly agreed. With a shrug, he looked at Usagi and Mamoru, then up at the sky. "But they still needed _us._"

Kagome resisted swatting him upside the head. Baka. "Thank you, Usagi, Mamoru..." she glanced around, smiling at the gathering of senshi. "All of you. Thank you."

"Then I guess it's time," Sango said, stepping forward and hefting her shopping bag a bit. Eyes slid towards the well, and one person moved her way aside, lifting a hand to the air.

"Pluto Crystal Power! Make-up!"

A burst of purple light brightened the area for a moment before fading away into the afternoon sunlight, though not without adding a crackle of energy to the air. The stately shape of Sailor Pluto, Guardian of Time, moved forward with her Timestaff, remembering how this strange story began. Coming to seal a rift in the fabric of space and time, she was now about to reopen it, intentionally create a stable wormhole. It seemed backwards, but right somehow. She tried to trust her instincts instead of her more logical head.

She opened her mouth and began to lift the Timestaff to the air, only to be interrupted by Inuyasha shouting, "Oy, babaa! Don't mess it up this time!"

"Osuwari!"

Splat.

"Kuso...."

Sailor Pluto closed her eyes primly and suppressed a chuckle before lifting the Garnet Orb toward the sky and saying, "Let the Door of Time split the heavens and open to me...I call you by your true name. The all knowing God of Time, the Father of the Guardian...Chronos! Send me the path of light!"

With a sharp movement, she lowered the end of the great key so that it dipped below the wooden framework of the well, piercing the fabric of space and unleashing a brilliant blue glow, white at its most intense point, the tip of her staff. Flowing winds caught on natural currents, sending wind pressing upward through the well as Pluto stepped away, letting clear white light beam upward, vanishing into the day's yellow sunshine.

She arched an eyebrow at Inuyasha, just peeling himself from the ground, and rested the Timestaff against her shoulder with an almost cocky grin. "I reopened the rift. Once you have all passed through, it will resume its normal functioning." The smile faded, and she swept her gaze across the time travelers. "I took the liberty of assuming you would rather travel through the well rather than be deposited again where you were removed from."

A few nods followed. Being unceremoniously dumped from the sky was not entirely appealing. With a small bow of acknowledgment, Pluto stepped aside.

Tentatively, Sango and Miroku worked their way forward, peering down into the vanishing depths as they tried to decide what to do. Seeing trepidation written on their faces, Kagome encouraged, "It's not hard. Just try to land on your feet," while motioning with her hands and knowing they were unused to jumping into temporal warps. It seemed strange, but eventually...you got used to it. "Inuyasha and I will be right behind you."

Taking a deep breath, Sango stepped up onto the edge, Miroku following suit. Balanced there, he glanced one last time out at the assembled audience of observing magical females. So many lovely ladies.

"Houshi-sama, are you ready?"

Sango was staring into the abyss, clutching Kirara tighter in worry.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he said, "Yes. Let's go."

There was a slight increase in light the moment they vanished from view, swallowed up by the gleam the well emitted. From where she stood, Kami turned her head to see a wide eyed Shippou watching from her shoulder. "Shippou-kun," she whispered softly, hiding her mouth behind her hand, and giving him a nudge, "you should be going too."

The kitsune blinked once, as though snapping out of a trance, induced by watching the disappearance of two of his usual companions. Ones who did not normally travel though the well. He gulped, then felt Kami pluck him off her shoulder.

"Ja ne, Shippou-kun," she smiled, lightly kissing him on the top of the head and setting him down on the ground. That earned some cooing, adorable sounds from the surrounding senshi, and Shippou's red face blanched white with embarrassment. With a squeak, he backed away, then wheeled around and scampered up onto the well, wanting to disappear. Though on seeing the bottomless depths of the well, he froze, trying to decide whether or not to take the plunge.

A light laugh from Kagome decided him, since she picked him up. "Come on, Shippou-chan. You can come with Inuyasha and me."

"Oy, Kagome, are you coming or not?" Inuyasha demanded, already on the edge of the well and offering a hand. "We've said goodbye to them all day long. Let's go. We've got shards to find."

Kagome hung her head and tried very hard not to laugh. Stubborn fool. Always the same thing. She lifted her eyes after a moment and looked one last time at the group, then called; "Goodbye!"

"Kagome!" Usagi shouted, grabbing Minako's hand and making her wave around the disposable camera. Catching onto the idea, Minako added her voice to the shout and it came in stereo. "We'll get you some doubles!"

"Thanks!" Kagome waved a last farewell, Shippou shyly joining her before they stepped up as well, Inuyasha grabbing her arm to steady her. Then they leapt in, and the familiar sensation of falling through time enveloped them.

It was time to go home.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed the extended epilogue.

Kylara, the potato salad was for you. Enjoy! ^.~

Mina-chan...Hurricane Aino. Enough said.

With Setsuna around, being Guardian of Time and all, I thought I'd toss in a possibility as to why only Inuyasha and Kagome can go through the well. It may just be a writing device to keep Naraku and his minions from crossing the time barrier and making things messy, but in the more character-related sense, there doesn't seem to be a definite answer as to why just the two of them can. It's a rather romantic suggestion that their souls are simply connected, but hey, anything is possible. ^.^

The scene with Shippou and Kami playing kemari is a replay from my fic _Kami Monogatari. _If you read that...you should have gotten the inside reference in that scene. If not, well, it should still be understandable.

I also don't believe there has been an explanation why there are no youkai in the modern era in Inuyasha. It's possible there are still some out there, but it seems that if there are any, they are very few and far between- or at the least, very well hidden.  
I had a lot of fun (and pain and anguish!) writing this fic. It is by far the longest thing I've written. Originally I thought I was absolutely out of my mind (and I still think I am) for writing a cross between two shows that seem so utterly different. But being the obsessive person that I am, the Muses decided to plague me until I crossed the two. I hope you enjoyed the insanity of it all.

Until next storytime.  
~Queen


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